Days before the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games the International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Paralympic Committee (IPC) along with Worldwide Olympic partner Airbnb have unveiled Tokyo Together. Bookings for the programme are open from 15th July 2021.
Tokyo Together is an exclusive programme that will help fans meet Olympians, Paralympians, non-competing athletes and Tokyo 2020 insiders live from Japan. This programmer will have over 200 athletes. It spans over 50 sports and 30 countries.
The current circumstances don’t allow fans to attend the upcoming Olympic Games in person and as a result, the launch of any such experiences will help people experience the games from inside and at the same time support their favourite athletes.
“In light of the current circumstances, we wanted to create a unique alternative to bring together athletes and fans while keeping the same sense of discovery and exclusivity,” said Kirsty Coventry, IOC Athletes' Commission Chair. “The Olympian and Paralympian Experiences platform is a fantastic opportunity for athletes to build a personal relationship with their fanbase and feel their support, while the platform will also bring the incredible Olympic spirit to people across the globe. As part of our effort to empower athletes at all stages of their career, the positive response to the past year’s activities has indeed confirmed that offering athletes the possibility to host such experiences presents them with new meaningful opportunities.”
“With spectatorship looking different this year, audiences are searching for new ways to support Olympic and Paralympic athletes during Tokyo 2020,” said Catherine Powell, Airbnb Global Head of Hosting. “Airbnb is all about creating unique experiences that connect people, and Olympic and Paralympian Online Experiences allow fans to feel closer to their heroes than ever before. These interactive activities will provide an intimate window into the Games, all made possible by the 200+ athletes joining our hosting community this summer.”
IPC President Andrew Parsons said: “When the Games in Tokyo were postponed last year, Airbnb excelled themselves. The creation of the Olympic and Paralympic Online Experiences platform not only allowed many Para athletes to share their passions with people all over the world, but also provided them with a valuable income stream in the absence of competition. Now, the most important Paralympic Games in history are upon us, and I’m thrilled to see so many Para athletes on the Airbnb Experiences platform, not least the amazing athletes of our Refugee Paralympic Team. I would encourage people to grab this rare opportunity to view the Games up close and personal with the stars of the show.”
