On the 6th of June 2023, Mr. Viliami Takau CEO of the Ministry of Tourism (Commissioner for Tonga’s booth) attended the International Planning Meetings (IPM) 2023 which was held at the Hyatt Regency in Osaka, Kansai, Japan together with Ms. Simata E La’a Palu, Planning, Development and Investment Manager of the Tonga Tourism Authority. There were about 200 participants from 94 countries attending this meeting.
The 2025 Osaka World Expo is the sixth World Expo hosted by Japan with a total of 155 countries and regions confirmed to participate at the upcoming Expo. The aim of the IPM was to provide information on the support and logistics leading up to the World Expo. The meeting provided various information regarding preparation schedules for Type B and C pavilions and specific details of the assistance program for developing countries.
Furthermore, 28 million visitors are expected to visit the Expo site with travellers from Japan and the world. The Expo’s subthemes are divided into three categories which are (1) connecting lives, (2) saving lives and (3) empowering lives. The Expo is designed to be cashless with all transactions for merchandise and goods sold being made using a touchless system and a digital market online for e-commerce. The Association of the World Expo will provide some support to developing countries including Tonga.
On the 7th, of June 2023, the participants visited Yumeshima Island where the Expo site will be built, followed by an excursion to various locations in the Osaka-Kensai region giving the participants the opportunity to learn about the culture and history of Osaka.
In the next few months, Tonga Tourism will liaise with relevant stakeholders on how to maximize Tonga’s participation at the 2025 Osaka World Expo.
For more news and information on the press release above, please contact Ms. Simata-e-la’a Palu at the Tonga Tourism Authority at [email protected] or +676 25334 or +676 7744669.
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