About 1.7 million tickets to Shanghai World Expo 2010 have been sold since group sales began on March 27. Ten percent of the tickets were sold to overseas buyers, the Expo organizer has said.

The organizer expects more than 70 million visitors during the six-month Expo. The tickets that have been sold accounted for a little more than 1 percent of the organizer's total sales estimate.

More than 5,000 corporate and institutional buyers have so far bought tickets, which will be available to individuals from next Wednesday.

Among domestic buyers, about 90 percent were from Shanghai. Buyers in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces as well as Beijing accounted for 8 percent of tickets, according to China's four major ticket agents: China Mobile, China Telecom, China Post and the Bank of Communications.

Chinese and foreign corporations and organizations that want at least 30 tickets can still buy from these agents and another nine outside the Chinese mainland. The agents have opened hotlines, Websites and outlets around the world.

A standard single-day ticket costs 130 yuan ($18.98), and a peak-day ticket costs 170 yuan until June 30, the end of the first sales phase. Both are 30 yuan cheaper than prices to be charged during the Expo.

The public will be able to buy tickets from July 1 at more than 2,000 outlets across the country. The price for a standard single-day ticket will rise to 140 yuan and a peak-day ticket 180 yuan. The agents have also opened hotlines and Websites to sell tickets.

People can dial 12580, China Mobile's hotline, to book tickets. English service is available. There is no limit on the amount of tickets people can buy.

(Shanghai Daily June 26, 2009)