By Trevor Stynes
ATLANTA, June 26 (Reuters) - In a World Cup beset by criticism over pricing, Atlanta Stadium, and the city as a whole, are providing relief to the wallets of soccer supporters, with fan-friendly food options, a free Fan Fest and cheap transportation.
The ground, which NFL's Atlanta Falcons and MLS side Atlanta United call home, is easily reachable in downtown Atlanta and for those using public transport, local rail company MARTA has not raised prices during the tournament.
"We're in
a very privileged situation," the stadium's chief operating officer Dietmar Exler told Reuters.
"We have 15,000 hotel rooms within 15 minutes walking. We have two subway stations right next to the stadium that connect you to the airport in around 20 minutes.
"We have infrastructure like many European cities, which in the U.S. is usually not that common. It's a different environment here. And we have Fan Fest, less than 10 minutes walking from the stadium."
World Cup ticket pricing is not something the stadium owners have any control over, but once fans are inside the state-of-the-art air-conditioned ground, they may be surprised by the array of food options available, and the cost.
"It doesn't matter who shows up here, whether it's FIFA or a concert, the promoter decides the price of the ticket," Exler said.
"What is under our control is food, for example, or transportation here. That's the city of Atlanta, that's all of us together."
WELCOME TO ATLANTA
The stadium opened in 2017, and Falcons owner Arthur Blank's research at other NFL grounds led to him wanting to offer something different to supporters.
"For us, the North Star is always fan experience. We want to give the fans the best possible experience in whatever we do," Exler said.
"We have street-level pricing, meaning we charge the same as the restaurants around town. We shouldn't charge more just because you're inside of the stadium held captive.
"On top of that, we have a dozen items that are fan-friendly priced. For example, bottomless Coke is $2. You get a cup, you can refill it as often as you want. A hot dog is $2, and there are another 10 items that are protected like that."
Those prices have not increased since the stadium's opening and there was never any thought of taking advantage of the influx of international fans.
"We will always have those prices," Exler said.
"From college football games to the Falcons, from Atlanta United to the World Cup. That's just our commitment to the fans.
"In Atlanta, we are committed to fan-friendly pricing. That's just our attitude here. We call it Southern hospitality."
(Writing by Trevor Stynes, additional reporting by Vitalii Yalahuzian and Christophe Van Der Perre in Atlanta, editing by Ed Osmond)
