Expo 2020 sees a boom in numbers as its end approaches

The last-minute surge of about 1.5 million visits per week is likely to bring numbers closer to the original 25 million targets as the tourism industry tries to recover

There has been a rush of visits to Expo 2020 as the closing date for the Dubai-based event approaches. In total, 17.4 million people have now passed through the turnstiles, with organisers describing this as a “phenomenal increase” of 1.4 million visits in a single week.

The last-minute surge of about 1.5 million visits per week is likely to bring numbers closer to the original 25 million targets. The rising number of international tourists to Dubai has contributed to higher Expo footfall, as the tourism industry recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.

In January, the emirate welcomed more than 979,700 international tourists, a growth of 116 per cent compared to the same month last year, according to figures from Dubai Tourism.