Over half of Expo visitors from abroad.

Milan's regional economy had a hefty boost in earnings in October, the closing month of Expo Milano 2015 according to a study by the Monza and Brianza Chamber of Commerce.

Hotel bookings by Expo visitors in Milan were up by 38.4 per cent over October 2014. The “Expo effect” also favoured Venice, with an increase of about 15 percent, and Florence with almost as much.

The turnover in Milan's hotels, shops and services was an estimated €60.2 million in the final month of Expo Milan 2015.

The Monza and Brianza Chamber of Commerce estimates that over the six-month period of Expo Milano 2015 tourists sleeping at least one night for the purpose of seeing Expo 2015 spent around €230 million.

This included €193m for Milan itself, plus €6.4m for the lakes district, €6.3m for neighbouring Monza and Brianza province, €3m for other provincial capitals in Lombardy, €8m for Venice and another €14m spread over other tourist hotspots like Roma, Florence, Salento, the Romagna riviera and the Amalfi coast.

Foreign tourists staying in hotels in and around Milan for Expo accounted for some 56 percent of overnights. Some 86 per cent of the foreigners came from the EU, 18 per cent from China and around 17 per cent from North America, says the report.

But this is just a starting point, not an end result, said Chamber president Carlo Edoardo Valli, presenting the report. The Expo period is still continuing through the business and institutional relations created by members with foreign delegations and companies.”