The national exhibition, Expo.02, is becoming more popular among German-speaking Swiss. According to a survey, 67 per cent said that they were prepared to pay the ticket price, up from 51 per cent the previous year.

The French-speaking Swiss retained their interest in Expo, which is scheduled to open in 2002, with 61 per cent claiming they were keen to take a trip there.

Organisers of the exhibition carried out the survey and discovered that people were less concerned about the entrance fee.

The organisers found that people were more positive about the Expo.02, and negative associations such as financial difficulties, managerial problems, and disorganisation, had diminshed.

The arteplage (pictured) has aroused the most interest in the public - which are the exhibition grounds in Biel, Murten, Neuchatel, Yverdon-les-Bains and Jura.

Expo.02's director, Nelly Wenger, announced that more than half of the projects have found financial backers. Wenger said the costs of 26 out of the 40 exhibits were covered.

The steering committee estimated they needed SFr 454 million and have been pledged SFr 323 million. SFr70 million is expected to come from small and medium-sized companies by October. But so far they have only contributed SFr5 million.

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