The first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region has gotten off to a great start, with Expo 2020 Dubai welcoming 411,768 ticketed visits in its first 10 days.

 

Expo 2020 opened its doors on October 1, and figures up to and including October 10 show that visitors belonged to 175 nationalities – not far off the 192 countries that are participating in the event, each with its own pavilion. 

 

One in three visitors has come from abroad, with this proportion expected to increase as international travel ramps up.

 

Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Secretary General Dimitri S. Kerkentzes said: “Expo 2020 Dubai’s opening week has undoubtedly been a success. The numbers we are seeing are very encouraging and demonstrate the global desire for people to reconnect with each other and to imagine a better future.”

 

A number of ticket options are open to visitors, with Multi-Day and Season Passes proving popular. One in five visitors have already visited the expo more than once, according to statistics released by the organisers.

 

UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Expo 2020 Dubai Director General Reem Al Hashimy said: “We are very happy with this wonderful turnout. The numbers achieved in the first 10 days reflect the enthusiasm of the world to attend Expo 2020 Dubai. 

 

"The coming days and weeks will be full of special events offering a visitor experience that will be purposeful and entertaining, and we look forward to welcoming many more people from around the world.”

 

Many of the country pavilions have also been impressed with the numbers of visitors so far.

 

Commissioner General of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste Pavilion Joseph K Issa said: “We’ve been really busy since the show opened nine days ago, with a constant flow of visitors every day. People genuinely seem interested and inquisitive about what we have to offer and we are delighted to bring a flavour of Timor-Leste to visitors, businesses and investors.”

 

Ambassador & Commissioner General of the Marshall Islands Doreen DeBrum said: “This is the first time we’ve had our own dedicated pavilion at a World Expo, and it has been fantastic to share the best of the Marshall Islands with so many visitors. We’ve been delighted with the reaction of people so far.”

 

The figures include all physical ticket-holders. They exclude representatives, delegations and guests of international participants, partners and other stakeholders, as well as Expo staff.

 

Virtual Expo, virtualexpo.world, which launched on September 30 with three million people watching the Opening Ceremony live, has seen a further five million visits between October 1-10.

 

Expo 2020 runs until March 31, 2022, with 200 pavilions in total for visitors to explore. As well as the attractions at each location, there are multiple daily events, with panel discussions and cultural performances.-TradeArabia News Service