Expo 2020 Dubai recorded more than one million visits in the past seven days, bringing the total close to 16 million since the world's fair began, organisers said on Tuesday.
Weekly numbers have been regularly exceeding the one-million mark, making February a record month for the Expo, with 4.4 million visits.
Total visits reached 15,995,423 since the site opened on October 1, with half of those in February being repeat visits.
A third of visits were from overseas, organisers said, with significant numbers from India, Saudi Arabia, the UK, Russia and France.
"As we've said all along, visitation at expos does tend to increase during the last months and weeks, and obviously now with more flights open we do hope that remains still true for ourselves," said Sconaid McGeachin, senior vice president of communications at Expo 2020 Dubai.
Organisers had initially set a target of 25 million visits before the start of the Expo.
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A child plays at a fountain by the UK Pavilion. All Photos: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Visitors inside Al Wasl Plaza during events held in the run up to UAE Rare Disease Day. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
The Expo has reported record visitors numbers in recent days, as school trips resume and more countries ease travel restrictions. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Visitors on Ghaf Avenue at the Expo site. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
People take photos at Surreal - The Water Feature. -
Visitors take in the scenes at the world's fair. -
Some of the exhibits inside the Bahrain Pavilion. -
Al Wasl Plaza is considered a must-see for many visitors. -
Visitors outside the Switzerland Pavilion. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
People wait to enter the Saudi Arabia Pavilion.
Visits in the past week were boosted by an '80s night, featuring Bonnie Tyler, Boney M and Earth, Wind & Fire and Salman Khan's globetrotting Da-bangg Tour.
Organisers announced that the steering committee of the College of Commissioner Generals of Expo 2020 Dubai endorsed extended pavilion opening hours to 11pm.
"We've seen that visitors are wanting to stay on into the evening when they come," said Ms McGeachin.
More than 500,000 pupils from public and private schools across the Emirates have taken part in the Expo School Programme.
As of February 25, the site had received 532,794 pupils through the programme, which was curtailed to 62 academic days following the suspension of school visits during January.
Expo announced a relaxation of its Covid-19 rules, with face masks now optional while in outdoor areas of the site. However, visitors are encouraged to continue wearing them in “entertainment venues with large attendances”.
The virtual visitation numbers crossed 150 million, including more than three million virtual visits to the school journeys, with China, India, UAE, Philippines and Egypt among the main countries.
Meanwhile, Expo has launched a special white passport for those with 100 pavilion stamps or more.
Visitors with a minimum of 100 stamps in their existing yellow passport can present it at an Expo visitor centre, to receive the memento free of cost, as appreciation for their loyalty and commitment.
Organisers revealed last month that the 50-page passport, priced at Dh20, was the most popular souvenir sold at the event.
The souvenir book allows people to collect stamps at each of the pavilions they visit during the six-month event.
Expo 2020 passports come with watermarked pictures on each page and a unique code number, as well as space for personal details and a passport-sized picture.
Each pavilion offers a different stamp and visitors to the Expo on December 2, the UAE's 50th anniversary, received an exclusive stamp.
