Domestic ticket sales for Rio 2016 have been disappointing so far ©Rio 2016/Mathilde Molla

Only 10 per cent of three million available tickets for this summer's Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro have been sold in Brazil, organisers have revealed, leading to fears of empty venues at an event that enjoyed so much success only four years ago at London 2012. 

The low profile of many sports on the Paralympic programme and a "misconception" over the expense of tickets have been cited as reasons.

Around half of the 4.5 million domestic tickets for the Olympics have been sold, meanwhile.

Rio 2016 communications director Mario Andrada conceded sales are "a little lower" than usual, but claimed "the best tickets are selling very quickly".

He conceded they "are a bit worried" about Paralympic sales, blaming the low profile of many events in Brazil, as well as the ongoing economic crisis in which the host nation is experiencing its worst recession for 20 years.

"We have to educate, publicise," he said.

"And in the Paralympics we still need to show that Brazil will be fighting for the top five on the medal chart.

"For some here, Paralympic sport is still shocking."

Brazil is targeting a top five position on the medals table at the Rio 2016 Paralympics ©Getty Images
Brazil is targeting a top five position on the medals table at the Rio 2016 Paralympics ©Getty Images

London 2012 sold a record 2.7 million tickets for the Paralympics, 1.4 million by the start of the Olympic Games. 

International Paralympic Committee (IPC) director of communications Craig Spence has told insidethegames that the perceived high cost of tickets may have put people off in Brazil. 

"Clearly we'd like to have sold more tickets at this stage; the sooner we can sell the event out the better," he said today.

"Brazil is a very late purchase market and one big misconception we are suffering from locally at the moment is that tickets are perceived as too expensive.

"This is despite research indicating that few people actually know the Paralympic ticket prices."

Sales in Brazil opened last year with 12 months to go until the Paralympics are due to begin on September 7.

Prices range from BRL10 (£2/$3/€2.50) for the cheapest seats to BRL1,200 (£215/$340/€300) for the most expensive, which is for the Opening Ceremony.

Two million tickets are priced at BRL30 (£6/$9/€7.50) or less.

A timeline of the ticket sales process from now until the beginning of the Games ©Rio 2016
A timeline of the ticket sales process from now until the beginning of the Games ©Rio 2016

"Over the coming months we will be working extremely hard with the Rio 2016 Organising Committee and Brazilian Paralympic Committee to correct this and hammer home that tickets are actually extremely great value for money," added Spence.

"We are confident awareness levels of the Games are high, as shown with last September's promotional video which reached more than 50 million people in a matter of weeks, and the unprecedented media attention for the one year to go activities.

"The key now is to step up our activities and translate awareness levels into ticket purchases, sooner rather than later."

Sales for foreign visitors, which is done through authorised ticket resellers (ATRs) in different countries, has been more positive, with insidethegames being told last year that demand is far outstripping supply.