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June 1 Press Conference Highlights (Expo's first month of operations)
Jun 2, 2010
Hong Hao, director-general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination
bbTV: A letter by a college student published last week said some people pretended to be physically challenged in order to borrow wheelchairs while some parents put their children, who were older than three years, in strollers offered by the organizer. Have there been any measures adopted to prevent this and other bad manners in the Expo Park?
Hong Hao: The Expo Park has adopted some measures. For example, specific rules regulate that elderly and physically challenged people now need to show certificates about their age or physical status and pay a deposit to lease a wheelchair.
The park has also prepared 3,000 more wheelchairs and the total number now has surpassed 4,000. I thought most of the wheelchair users were seniors above 70 or physically challenged people, but still some don’t comply with the rule.
We wish our further efforts would reduce this phenomenon from happening.
bbTV: I saw some people, who were walked normally, using wheelchairs yesterday in the park. They told me certificates were necessary but they only had to pay a deposit. Are there any loopholes that need better regulation?
Hong Hao: We value your question and the rules stipulate that certificates are necessary for seniors and physically challenged people.
Shanghai Morning Post: Is there a plan to handle more visitors as a record of more than 500,000 people attended Shanghai Expo on Saturday? Meanwhile, some pavilions like Japan Industrial Pavilion in Puxi have cut some programs. Are there proposals for some pavilions to cut their programs to speed up the flow of people through pavilions? For example, visitors to China Pavilion mainly appreciate the painting “Along The River During Qingming Festival.”
Hong Hao: Previously, the highest turnout during Expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan or Expo 2000 in Hanover, Germany was about 2.5 times the daily average. The daily average for Expo Shanghai is still surging, but we will be fully prepared to handle more visitors.
Some pavilions may adjust their programs, some programs may be cut but some others would be enriched. China Pavilion won’t cut its programs.
Xinhua news agency: Is there a leap in MICE events since the Shanghai Expo started? Also any lessons or experiences gained from the first month operation that peers can learn from? In addition, does “Better City, Better Life,” plus an environmentally friendly Expo relate to people. How can we extend these concepts to urban development?
Hong Hao: We set up a huge MICE platform with the participation of more than 240 countries, international organizations, enterprises and cities, which is sure to positively affect the city’s and the country’s MICE industry because we’ve learned advanced ideas and technologies as well as management during the preparation and holding of the event.
The idea for a green and environmentally friendly Expo has attracted public concern. Many of our scientists, urban planners and technicians have been seeking keys to future development by going to the Expo.
Labor Daily: As you mentioned, visitors can attend the Expo at night. However, some pavilions have been closed at night. Can we improve the situation so that locals can visit the Expo Park at night to reduce crowds in the day?
Hong Hao: Thank you very much for your question. We discussed the issue last month. Some pavilions had fewer visitors at night, which could be a waste for them. They demanded the organizer improve the situation.
Sure there are some other reasons for the closure of pavilions, such as routine repairs or maintenance. We will inform visitors three days ahead of closures. In case of emergency closures, these will be published in the park instantly.
Central News Agency: Is it possible to use instant messages to avoid overcrowding at pavilions? Is it possible to shorten the time for security checks as a Taiwan group spent nearly two hours in security checks from the parking lot to the entrance?
In addition, there was a stampede on Sunday. Are there any contingency plans to prevent similar accidents from happening?
Hong Hao: There was no stampede and no one died, as some online reports have claimed, when thousands of fans rushed to the Expo site on Sunday to see Super Junior, a South Korean band, perform at the Expo Culture Center.
We have planned to introduce more sightseeing buses to improve traffic.
Visitors will receive text messages that recommend they avoid overcrowded pavilions. Relevant technology will be improved.
The guide for the Taiwan group might have led them to the wrong way as it only takes about 20 minutes from the parking lots to the entrance. We’ll inform the tourism authority so that guides will offer better service.
TV Asahi: A very popular Japanese band will be at the Expo on June 13. Are there any measures to handle the situation? For example, how to distribute the reservation tickets for the show?
Hong Hao: We will reappraise the situation over safety issues for star entertainers and take measures based on the result of the assessment. Security is our biggest priority. Adjustments will be necessary, but details including about the distribution of reservation tickets are still under consideration.
China Business News: Are there any statistics about how much money people are spending at Expo? What is the average amount spent per person? Are there any figures available for the boost Expo is giving to the local hotel and tourism industry?
Hong Hao: Each visitor spent about 40 yuan (US$5.86) on food and beverages, down from nearly 50 yuan at the beginning.
We have felt tourism boom locally, but I don’t have specific figures. The city’s tourism department might be able to better answer your question.
China Daily: Are there statistics for the ratio of overseas tourists among visitors during the first month? What is the daily limit for the number of visitors?
Hong Hao: It is hard for us to make statistics based on ticket sales, but we’ve planned some sample tests to survey the number of foreign visitors. The results will be published.
The Expo Park was designed to handle a maximum of 600,000 visitors per day.
China Economic Herald: The Expo Park is a park for energy conservation and resources reutilization. How about the reuse of energy in the first month from the opening of the park? Are there any specific figures?
Hong Hao: The figures are not here today. When they are ready we will release them.
Labor Daily: I have some advice. I know the fans a lot from interviews. They told me they teased police that night, as many officers had nothing to do with them, but tried to be friendly. How about communicate with fan clubs for future activities to alleviate such conflicts? Let those fan clubs be in charge of the distribution of reservation tickets.
Hong Hao: We will take your advice into consideration.
East Radio Shanghai Traffic: You vowed to visit Expo at night but it would be very crowed between 9pm and 10pm. Many of the visitors couldn’t hire a taxi while some cabbies only picked passengers for long distance. Any measures adopted to improve the situation? I’ve heard off a traffic police squadron was stationed in the park, what is the job for it?
Hong Hao: We’ve enhanced management on Pudong Road S and Zhongshan Road S to ensure visitors’ safety from leaving the park.
Taxis are allowed to enter the park in advance while management over them has been enhanced. Also crackdown carried out against unlicensed cabbies.
A total of 150 officers carried out their duties on May 25 to ensure visitors’ safety and smooth passage in the park. We’ll further improve the traffic faculties and limit the speed for vehicles riding in the park as well as enhanced management at scene, especially for drivers to ensure the traffic security in the park.
South China Morning Post: Last week I saw a sign on a major way in the Expo Park saying that an eight-hour wait was expected to enter the Saudi Arabia Pavilion. Saudi staff said the sign was by the Expo bureau and the information was exaggerated. Was this installed to divert people to other pavilions? My second question is some vendors were selling pirated Expo souvenirs on Yaohua Road. Has this been acknowledged by the Expo bureau? Have any measures been adopted to prevent this?
Hong Hao: At least six hours was necessary. The sign was installed for visitors’ reference to help them make a reasonable choice. Such signs can be quite helpful, but they should be set up with standards.
The business watchdog has swooped on the pirated Expo products to protect the intellectual property rights of Shanghai Expo.
Beijing Youth Daily: What was the revenue for the first? Is there a deficit or surplus? How will you cope with either of them?
Hong Hao: The revenue for the park was 5 billion yuan (US$732 million) in the first month, including the sales of more than 30 million tickets. The 5 billion yuan will bring go against our costs as the total budget for the operation was 10.6 billion yuan. We shall also pay our agents more than 1 billion yuan for distributing tickets. We will enhance the management of revenues and expenditures to ensure it balances.