A total of 11.8 million tickets for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo have been sold out so far, according to China News Agency's report on Monday.

The expo ticket sales began on March 27 this year. During the period ending last weekend, Shanghai has achieved the goal of tickets sales in 2009 ahead of schedule, according to the Shanghai World Expo Coordination Bureau.

The Expo organizers predicted optimistically that they will successfully reach the sales target of 70 million tickets. And the international gala in Shanghai is expected to become the most-visited World Expo. The Osaka Expo in 1970 attracted a record high of 64-million visitors. The expo has generally witnessed a decline in visitors with successive editions.

During the first phase of ticket sales that began in March, a standard single-day ticket cost just 130 yuan and a peak-day ticket 170 yuan. But tickets were only available for group visitors.

During the second sales phase between July 1 and December 31, individual visitors were able to buy a standard single-day ticket at 140 yuan and a peak-day ticket at 180 yuan.

During the third phase which starts on January 1st, 2010, the prices for both standard single-day ticket and peak-day ticket will increase by 10 yuan, said the report.