Expo has counted 185 nationalities through its gates, led by India, Germany, France, Saudi Arabia and the UK
Expo 2020 Dubai organisers have hailed the first month of the event as a “huge success”, announcing more than 2.3 million visits.
So far, 28 percent of visits were made by people under 18 years old, but this figure is expected to grow as the Expo School Programme expands during the cooler months ahead.
Taking a global overview, 17 percent of the total visits came from overseas, despite many countries still operating pandemic travel restrictions.
Expo has counted 185 nationalities through its gates, with the top five most popular overseas markets including India, Germany, France, Saudi Arabia and the UK.
The majority of visitors intend to visit multiple times, with more than half (53 percent) holding a Season Pass, more than a quarter (27 percent) entering with a Multi-Day Pass and 20 percent entering on a one-day ticket.
The opening 31 days also saw the first two thematic weeks from Expo’s Programme for People and Planet, which is designed to inspire collective and meaningful action to address the world’s most critical challenges and opportunities.
An international cast came together for Climate and Biodiversity Week, which took place ahead of the vital COP26 global environment summit, before Space Week blasted off into orbit to explore how the final frontier can help life on Earth.
Eight further Thematic Weeks will be held between now and the end of March, organisers said in a statement.
A total of 1,938 government leaders, including ministers, presidents, prime ministers and heads of state, have graced the Expo site to open their country’s pavilions, speak at official events or celebrate their nation’s Expo National Day, the statement added.
The Saudi Arabia Pavilion (pictured below), one of the largest on the Expo site, has attracted half a million visitors already.
A total of 5,610 official events have been staged across the Expo site during the first month of operations, featuring a stellar line-up of regional and international music artists, including Amr Diab, Kadim Al Sahir and Sami Yusuf.
Organisers added that as the UAE moves into its winter months and the weather become more temperate, visitor numbers are expected to steadily increase. November will feature the conclusion of a week of events marking Diwali, Nancy Ajram and Ragheb Alama headlining the second of Expo’s Infinite Nights concert series, and the beginning of a schedule of celebrations for the UAE’s Golden Jubilee.
Bringing Expo 2020 Dubai to a global digital audience, the number of virtual visitors has reached 12.8 million since October 1.
Expo 2020 Dubai runs until March 31 2022.
SOURCE: arabianbusiness.com