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New Zealand pavilion at the Shanghai Expo - Source: ONE News
The number of people going through the New Zealand pavilion may not reach top projections but the benefit to New Zealand will still be huge, Prime Minister John Key says.
More than 1.6 million people have already been through the New Zealand pavilion in the first two months of the World Expo in Shanghai, China.
Up to seven million people were expected to go through in the six months it runs.
The government spent $30 million on the pavilion and sponsors fronted up with $2.5m.
While the number of visitors may not reach seven million at the current rate, about 25,000-30,000 people a day, Key said it was a worthwhile investment.
Five to seven million people going through the pavilion was bound to increase tourism and investment in New Zealand, Key said.
"It's all part of the overall package of the free trade agreement (FTA) and the deepening relationships between New Zealand and China."
While it was hard to put a number on the economic value of the pavilion it was likely to be hundreds of millions of dollars, he said.
The New Zealand pavilion did New Zealand proud, Key said.
Key attended New Zealand's allocated national day at the pavilion yesterday.
Today, he travels to Vietnam for the last leg of his trip to Asia which has included stops in South Korea and Beijing.
