The organizer of the 2025 World Expo in Osaka has announced that ticket sales exceeded the break-even point.
Ishige Hiroyuki, Secretary General of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, told reporters on Monday that about 18.66 million entrance tickets had been sold as of August 15, raking in more than 96.9 billion yen, or about 655 million dollars.
The organizer’s plan is to cover roughly 80 percent of some 785 million dollars of operating expenses with ticket sales. The organizer said its break-even point is about 18 million tickets.
But Ishige said the balance of earnings and expenses cannot be determined yet. He pointed to the possibility of an unexpected event that could lead to the temporary closure of the event, such as a typhoon. He also said the car-parking service around the Expo site is currently operating at a loss.
Ishige said it’s still unclear whether the association will be able to break even on operating costs, as it will settle expenses after completing all its work, including the demolition of facilities following the end of the Expo.
He said the association will continue striving to achieve a balanced budget.
AloJapan.com