More than 700,000 visits to Expo 2020 Dubai since October 1

Number of virtual visits since world's fair opened has reached 9.3 million

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  Pupils from Sabari Indian School attend Expo 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa/The National.

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  Tour guide Shabnam Sharipova at the world's fair. Victor Besa/The National.

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  Pupils from Delhi Private School show their Expo passports. Victor Besa/The National.

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  Visitors from Brazil, Karoline Silva, Matheus Brum and Flavia Roque at the Expo. Victor Besa/The National.

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  Xing, left, and Bobo from China tour the pavilions. Victor Besa/The National.

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  Visitors take in the Expo 2020 Dubai sights by bicycle. Victor Besa/The National

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  Collecting stamps in their Expo passports is a favourite activity for many pupils. Victor Besa/The National.

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  Expo 2020 is expected to have a greater number of visitors using international travel than any Expo before it. Victor Besa/The National.

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  The Ohrtmann children from Germany visiting the Expo. Victor Besa/The National.

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  Pupils from Delhi Private School. Victor Besa/The National.

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  The Issa family from France. Victor Besa/The National.

LIVE BLOG: Latest pictures and video from Expo 2020 Dubai

Expo 2020 Dubai has recorded more than 700,000 visits since October 1.

From October 1 to 17, a total of 771,477 ticketed visits were recorded. Visit numbers have risen by 12 per cent in a week.

The figures include all physical ticket holders but exclude representatives, delegations, guests from international participants and Expo staff.

“Almost half of all the visitors hold a season pass,” said Sconaid McGeachin, senior vice president of communications, said at the world's fair's daily briefing.

“We've had more than 100,000 coming to the site twice and more than 35,000 coming more than three times.”

Al Jabri sisters, Taif, seven and Bian, 9, at Expo 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National.

She said the world’s fair had welcomed 181 nationalities since the opening of the event.

The number of virtual visitors has reached 9.3 million since October 1, rising by 1.5 million since the week before.

“The Japanese government has encouraged people to go on virtually and do a tour of their pavilion, which is fantastic to see that they're really encouraging people in Japan who maybe aren't visiting as much at the moment to to join in with us virtually,” Ms McGeachin said.

More than 53,000 visitors flooded through the entrance gates on the first day of Expo.

As the world's fair enters its third week, numbers are expected to be boosted in the coming days by schools' mid-term break.

Expo announced last week that complimentary access will be given to people under 18, those aged 60 and over, people with disabilities, nannies, housekeepers, taxi drivers and those who work in the hospitality sector.

Watch: Expo 2020 Dubai parade dedicated to the blind and visually impaired