OSAKA –
The economic impact of the 2025 World Expo in Osaka is estimated to have reached ¥3.05 trillion ($19.6 billion), a private-sector survey has shown.
The figure surpassed last year’s projection of ¥2.75 trillion, thanks to the popularity of goods featuring the Expo’s official mascot Myaku-Myaku, according to the survey by the Asia Pacific Institute of Research and Kansai Tourism Bureau.
The latest estimate includes ¥1.64 trillion for sales of food, beverages and goods.
The number of general visitors totaled 25.58 million, below the initial estimate of 28.2 million. But per-capita spending far exceeded pre-event forecasts.
Shopping expenses surged in the second half of the event, which was held between April and October this year, according to the survey.
Still, the overall economic impact, including factors such as extended stays by visitors, fell short of the earlier projection of ¥3.37 trillion.
The Asia Pacific Institute of Research noted that the impact on sightseeing in the Kansai region outside the expo venue was limited, stressing the necessity to further enhance widespread tourism as a legacy of the event.
AloJapan.com