COPENHAGEN, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Danish media reported Monday that the Little Mermaid statue's trip to the Shanghai Expo 2010 has been a great success.
The Copenhagen municipality council last year decided to send the statue on her first overseas trip.
The statue has sat on a rock in the Copenhagen harbor in Langelinie since being forged in 1913. Honoring the famous fairytale character created by Hans Christian Anderson, the Little Mermaid is an icon and major tourist attraction for the city.
Sending the Little Mermaid to China initially encountered some opposition. However, the criticism waned as the Expo proceeded and, with its closing at the weekend, was nowhere to be found.
To the contrary, Copenhagen tourist organization Wonderful Copenhagen is pleased with the marketing that the Little Mermaid has done in China.
"We expect a huge increase in tourists from China. And if we can increase our market share, this might be a really great business," Peter Romer, development vice president of Wonderful Copenhagen, told the national Danish Broadcasting Corporation.
The Little Mermaid will arrive home on Nov. 20.
The Danish pavilion at the Shanghai Expo has, according to a press release from the Danish Ministry of Economy and Commerce, received more than 5.55 million visitors, equal to the entire population of Denmark.
