SHANGHAI, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) --Tickets to Shanghai World Expo will be put on sale as of Sept. 9 next year, with the benchmark price being set at 160 yuan.

    Chen Xianjin, deputy director of Shanghai World Expo Affairs Coordinative Bureau, said the actual prices of tickets would be fluctuating above or below 160 yuan, the benchmark price, in accordance with timing and style visitors choose to go by group or on their own.

    "A host of measures will be taken to promote ticket sale, especially tickets for visitors by groups," said Chen, without elaborating.

    The Shanghai World Expo is scheduled to take place from May 1 to Oct. 31, 2010. Its organizers are hoping to attract participation of 200 countries and international organizations, the most numbers of all similar expos held thus far.

    Research shows that a total of 70 million people will visit Shanghai during the 184-day event and the daily number may reach 800,000.

    By July 31, a total of 158 countries, regions and international organizations had confirmed their participation in the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.