Expo 2010 Shanghai is so popular that it has not only created large crowds in front of many pavilions, but also made hoarders out of local residents like Gu Yintao, who are stocking up on as many tickets as possible for his visiting friends and family.

Gu bought 16 tickets in all, which cost him more than 2,500 yuan ($368). The tickets will be presented as gifts to his friends and business partners who live outside the city.

"I received many calls from my friends who showed interest in the event. It is also a great opportunity to socialize with my clients by inviting them to Shanghai to visit the Expo," said the 28-year-old lawyer, who has a wide network of legal clients in the Yangtze River Delta.

"Among all the entertainment options, the Expo provides the best value. With only 160 yuan, you can invite your friends to travel around the world. It will be the most recommended gift this year," he added.

Gu is not alone in his thinking. The 184-day mega event, which has been attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each day since its official opening on May 1, has reinforced Shanghai as China's premier tourist destination, tourism experts say.

Many local residents have gone to great lengths to secure as many tickets as possible to ensure that their friends will gain admission to the Expo.

Yang Hong, a local housewife, said she spent 2,000 yuan on Expo tickets and she had already reserved rooms for her relatives and friends, who are coming soon.

But what she has already bought still might be far from enough, she said.

"Everyone is keen to come and eager to see for themselves what the Expo is like," she said.

Those who cannot afford to buy a large number of Expo tickets are seeking out other ways to gain admission.

Staff at a local community service center in the Xuhui district said they have received more applications for residence permits than in the past after Shanghai's Party chief, Yu Zhengsheng, announced in early April that every household in the city, including those who hold a residence permit, would receive a free Expo ticket and transportation card as a reward for their patient tolerance of all the inconveniences they endured throughout the construction of the Expo Garden.

"We used to receive dozens of applications each day, but now it's well over 100. Getting an Expo ticket is obviously the major motivation," said a staff member, surnamed Wang.

China Minsheng Bank launched a promotion campaign for its credit card late last year by distributing free Expo tickets to new card holders. More than 20,000 new accounts have been opened since December, due to growing public interest in the international event, said Lu Junbiao, an account manager at the bank.

"Many people actually already have several credit cards, but they still showed great interest in opening a new account after learning that they could get a free ticket to the Expo," said Lu, adding he had never found it so easy to promote credit cards.

Shopping malls have also sponsored promotions in which free Expo tickets are given away in drawings. This has led to booming sales across the city. China Eastern Airlines is aiding the effort by parceling out tickets for passengers who book international flights online.

"For many people here in Shanghai, it is not the question of whether you get the Expo tickets or not, but how many you can secure. So it is understandable that major businesses are counting on the appeal of the event for better sales and profits," said local resident Xu Donghui.