National

Regional

Taiwan, HK, Macao

Special Coverage

Focus

Society

Profiles

Poll reveals Expo intentions

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-05-27 13:27

SHANGHAI -- Chinese people say they are willing to spend an average of 1,522 yuan ($222) each at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai on food, shopping and other activities, according to Wednesday's Shanghai Daily.

The local newspaper quoted data from an online survey released Tuesday as saying that 38 percent of respondents said they would visit the Expo.

The survey findings were compiled by worldwide marketing services company Millward Brown-ACSR and Ogilvy.

About 51 percent of those respondents who were intending to go said they were looking forward to visiting the United States Pavilion, even though the country has not yet confirmed its participation in the event. About 41 percent said they were looking forward to visiting the France Pavilion.

Special coverage: World Expo 2010 Related readings:  Shanghai Expo sets June 30 deadline for pavilion work to start  Shanghai hotels bank on Expo  Coca-Cola to lend a helping hand for Shanghai World Expo  Get to work, Expo exhibitors told  Countdown starts for Shanghai Expo

Other participants that generated a lot of interest included Britain, Japan and Egypt.

About 80 percent said they wanted to learn about foreign cultures and arts at the Expo, while 72 percent said new technology would be one of their main purposes for attending.

A total of 13,991 people took part in the survey, held from February to mid-March across the country.

In a related development, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut signed letters of intent on Tuesday with the preparatory organization for the US pavilion on providing financial support to the project.

Felix T. Wong, who is in charge of the preparatory work, told Xinhua that US-funded companies in the mainland and ethnic Chinese people of US nationality had become the major force to support the US pavilion project.

The United States' hesitancy to confirm its participation in the 2010 World Expo was due partly to insufficient funds raised. The US laws prohibit the government from allocating money directly for the activity.

It is reported that the design of the US pavilion has been completed. The expo organizers, at the request of the US side, have allocated a 6,000-square-meter plot for the pavilion.

Some US companies, including 3M and Dell, and the USA.-China Education, Science & Culture Association have promised to grant funds to the US pavilion project.

The organizers forecast that the Shanghai World Expo, which is due to end on October 31, 2010, will attract 70 million visitors, 5 percent of whom will be overseas visitors.