The Commissioner General of Expo 2000 in Hanover hit back last week at critics who forecast a Millennium-Dome style flop after disappointing visitor figures immediately after the 1 June opening. Mrs Brigit Breuel said she was confident that the fair would meet the 40 million visitors target before its close on 31 October.

The fair's computer system broke down on the first day and the Polish president had to climb on to a roof to avoid being trapped in a lift, an echo of the four-hour queues for the millennium-eve opening of the Dome at Greenwich. The Hanover Expo attracted 360,000 visitors in the first four days, less than half the anticipated 760,000.

The systems problem, now repaired, is blamed for a lack of up-to-date visitor figures - new figures will not be released until early this week - however, organis ers point to previous Expos like Seville in 1992 when only 4.5 per cent of visitors came in the first month and 12 per cent in the second. They maintain that the majority of visitors will come in the final two months.

More than 300 of 500 visitors polled on the opening day said they would return to Hanover for a further visit and 94 per cent said they would recommend the exposition to friends. 'We have been talking to people all the time,' said Mrs Breuel. 'I did not find anyone who didn't like it. There were very many young people which was encouraging.'

The Dome at Greenwich opened to forecasts of 12 million visitors in the year which have since been revised down to seven million. Mrs Breuel insisted the admission price of DM69 (£22) a day would be maintained despite criticism from trade union leaders.