Image Caption: Expo 2025 Osaka mascot, Myaku-Myaku
Featured Image: Eli fessler/ CC BY-SA 4.0/ Edited for size
Organisers of the Expo 2025 Osaka, the upcoming World Expo set to kick off on April 13, have begun offering special promotions in a bid to improve sluggish ticket sales.
Expo 2025 will run for six months until October 13, marking the third time Osaka has hosted the global gathering having previously held Expo 1970 and 1990.
World Expo events feature nations dedicated to finding solutions to pressing challenges, providing a platform for these countries to demonstrate their achievements. They are usually projected to attract upwards of 20 million people.
However, according to reports, Expo 2025 in Osaka has sold just over half of its target of 14 million tickets at 7.7 million.
In a bid to improve this figure, Expo organisers are offering a 10% discount to those who pre-order tickets for Universal Studios Japan, which is also located in Osaka.
Ticket sales are not the only concern for organisers, as preparations enter the finals weeks before doors open. Pavilion construction faced delays, but there are still plans in place to host a soft opening a week before Expo 2025 officially launches. Some 40,000 residents from Osaka Prefecture have been invited on each day of the three-day test run.
Additionally, national daily newspaper The Mainichi has reported that organisers are also considering introducing same-day ticket sales to hit targets. Attendees had traditionally been required to book tickets online for specific dates and entry times in order to minimise queues. They could also enter lotteries for entry to some of the pavilions and special events.
The previous World Expo took place in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates between October 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022. Originally scheduled for October 20, 2020 until April 10, 2021, the event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It attracted almost 25 million visitors.
Elsewhere in Osaka, work has begun on Japan’s first casino-integrated resort. MGM Resorts International and its partners will host a groundbreaking ceremony for the project in April.
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