The World Expo in Osaka, western Japan, is projected to generate a surplus despite earlier concerns that the event could end up in the red.
The expo organizer, the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, held a news conference on Tuesday ahead of the event’s closure next Monday.
The association said that operating expenses for the expo are expected to show a surplus of 23 billion to 28 billion yen, or about 150 million to 185 million dollars.
Ticket sales were slow before the expo opened in April, but the number of ticketed visitors gradually increased. Attendance has now surpassed 24 million visitors, with more than 200,000 people coming to the site each day recently.
In addition, sales of goods, including those featuring the official mascot Myaku-Myaku, have exceeded forecasts.
But the park-and-ride operation is projected to incur a loss. It enables visitors to park their vehicles in designated parking lots and take a shuttle bus to the expo venue.
The organizer says it plans to offset the loss by cutting other expenses.
The projected surplus is larger than the one for the 1970 expo in Osaka and also surpasses the figure for the 2005 expo in Aichi, central Japan.
The head of the association, Tokura Masakazu, expressed hope that the surplus will be used to help share the legacy of the expo.
AloJapan.com