The first World Expo, which has begun in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, is off to a great start, as Expo 2020 Dubai welcomed 411,768 ticketed visits in its first 10 days.
Although the Expo 2020 opened its doors on the 1st of October this year, the number of participants as at October 10 shows they are from 175 nationalities – not far off the 192 countries that are participating in the event, each with its own pavilion.
One in three has come from abroad, with this proportion expected to increase as international travel ramps up.
In the words of the Secretary General of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), Dimitri S. Kerkentzes,
“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.”
He added that a number of ticket options are open to visitors, with Multi-Day and Season Passes proving popular.
“One in five visitors have already visited Expo more than once, demonstrating that one day is not enough to enjoy the diverse and dynamic array of activities and entertainment on offer.”
Reacting also, the UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General, Expo 2020 Dubai, Reem Al Hashimy, expressed:
“We are very happy with this wonderful turnout. The numbers achieved in the first 20 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 rich, purposeful and entertaining, and we look forward to welcoming many more people from around the world.”
According to the minister, many of the country pavilions have also been impressed with the numbers of visitors so far.
For the Commissioner General of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste Pavilion, Joseph K Issa, at Expo 2020 Dubai, they have been really busy since the show opened, with a constant flow of visitors every day.
He hinted that people genuinely seem interested and inquisitive about what they have to offer and “We are delighted to bring a flavor of Timor-Leste to visitors, businesses and investors from around the world.”
The Commissioner General of the Marshall Islands, Ambassador Doreen DeBrum, at the Expo 2020 Dubai highlighted that this is the first time they have had their own, dedicated pavilion at a World Expo.
He stated that 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 – this is truly an incredible opportunity for us to be part of this incredible event.”
The Nigerian pavilion at the expo has also witnessed thousands of visitors and world leaders as they take tours through the Nigerian pavilion, thrilled by the many cultural artifacts, experiencing the culture, food, creative industry amongst others.
Accordingly, Expo 2020 shows that 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 30 September this year, with three million people watching the opening ceremony live, has seen a further five million visits between October 1 to 10.
Expo 2020 Dubai will run until 31 March next year, 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.