Delayed Expo 2020 Dubai unlikely to hit 25m visitor target – Knight Frank

Delayed Expo 2020 Dubai unlikely to hit 25m visitor target – Knight Frank

Visitors to the rescheduled Expo 2020 Dubai are unlikely to match the 25 million target initially announced by organisers, according to real estate consultants Knight Frank.

Although the mega event will bolster tourism in the UAE this year, Knight Frank said the sector was not expected to "return in a meaningful manner" until the latter part of 2022.

The postponement of Expo 2020 Dubai due to the global pandemic has only heightened the excitement for the event, according to Manal Al Bayat, chief sales and marcomms officer

In a new report, it said: "The rescheduled Expo 2020 will help bolster demand, although visitation is unlikely to match the pre-pandemic expectations of 25 million visitors. Looking ahead, despite the drive to inoculate the global population we are still not expecting tourism being able to return in a meaningful manner until the latter part of 2022."

In response, an Expo spokesperson said: "We continue to look forward to welcoming millions of visitors from around the world to visit Expo 2020 Dubai from 1 October this year and we have not changed our visitor target. However, we are following the current global situation in relation to Covid-19 closely and will update our modelling accordingly as the event