Seatrade Cruise News is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

World Expo 2025 host Osaka anticipating increased cruise calls

Osaka
Osaka anticipating increased cruise calls around World Expo 2025
The World Expo 2025 is half a dozen years away but host city Osaka is already beginning to gear up.

Approximately 28 million visitors are expected that year and according to the Port Promotion Department, Planning & Construction Division, of Osaka City’s Port & Harbor Bureau, the number of tourists to Osaka, including cruise passengers, is also expected to increase in tandem.

Expo 2025 will take place in Osaka from May 3 to November 3 under the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives".

The last time the World Expo was held in Osaka was in 1970.

World Expo venue at Osaka port

The venue for World Expo 2025 will be Yumeshima, which is a part of Osaka port and 10km away from the city centre, less than 30 minutes from Osaka Station and less than 60 minutes from Kansai International Airport by car.

Plans for World Expo 2025 includes the development of YumeshimaIsland.

The first World Expo was held in London in 1851, with subsequent events held in major cities in Europe and the United States. Recent years have seen a slump in visitor numbers and Osaka aims to reverse that trend. The 2025 Expo will bring into focus 21st century life sciences that can be applied to the issues of global health and longevity, such as induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS) technology, which is a strong industry in the Kansai region.

Osaka continues to grow as a cruise destination. 45 cruise ships called in 2018 and around 60 are expected this year. Between January and March 2019, ships visiting include Diamond Princess, Quantum of the Seas and Star Legend. Silver Whisper and Albatros will be making maiden calls.