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International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE) General Secretary Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales said İzmir had everything necessary to host Expo 2015, noting that the city was a strong contender among the candidates. BIE is responsible for hosting the event.

Loscertales said it was wise of Turkey to select İzmir as its candidate due to the province's culture, history and tourist resorts.

“İzmir is a strong contender for Expo, but a city also needs cooperation and unity. All institutions, nongovernmental organizations and all citizens need to work together. They need to cooperate. What I would recommend is to leave politics aside and call on the government to help. A good project needs to be formulated and it has to become a national cause,” he said. He also said an international campaign to convince the world why İzmir should host Expo 2015 had to be initiated.

Loscertales noted that the application process for Expo 2015 had yet to start, adding that according to the information they had, only two other cities were preparing to bid for it. “It's still too early to say how many candidates there will be; however, I believe Moscow and Toronto want Expo 2015,” he said.

Turkey is a very dynamic country, he said, adding: “Currently, we have no idea about the candidates or their projects. However, when we take a look at Turkey and İzmir, we can easily see that they satisfy all the criteria needed for hosting Expo. This leaves only the projects. If a good project is prepared, İzmir's chances of winning the expo will be great.”


‘The project should attract attention'

Loscertales, who gave a briefing on the candidacy and the election process, said: “Applications will begin nine years before Expo is held. In other words, we will begin accepting the projects in November or December of 2006. First will come the candidacy letters of the cities interested. Project submissions will continue for six months. In 2007, the documents will be checked and visits to candidate cities will begin. We will investigate the cities and the viability of the projects. Reports will be drafted and sent to the 98 BIE member countries for assessment. Projects need to be interesting and should attract attention. The host city of Expo 2015 will be chosen in a secret ballot.”

He emphasized the importance of preparing a good project, noting that countries that want to participate needed to know why they were coming. “You have to persuade them that there will be a great number of participants. The government needs to back this project with sufficient funds.”



Image and income boost:

Loscertales explained the benefits of hosting Expo 2015, noting that it was essentially a huge development project.

“Hosting the Expo 2015 means to make investments in the infrastructure, hotels and new commercial centers. The transportation network and airport need to be upgraded. Participating countries will also flood the city with investments. The total amount of investments could be as high as a $1 billion. The city and its economy will be energized. New commercial partnerships and cooperation will develop,” he said.

He said the image of every city that had hosted an Expo improved significantly, adding: “If you host more than 100 countries for six months, you will create a huge opportunity for commercial transactions. You will become known. Whenever a deal is sealed during an Expo, the host's image improves. İzmir already has a good international image, but after Expo 2015, this will improve significantly. You will have the opportunity to express everything you want.”



17 million tourists:

İzmir's history, cultural heritage and tourist centers will ensure an increase in the number of guests, said Loscertales, noting that more than 17 million tourists could visit İzmir in the six months Expo is here.

“One needs to draw lessons from the previous host. Spain's Seville is very much like İzmir in many respects. There were 41 million guests in six months, 32 percent of whom were from outside Spain. İzmir's proximity to tourist centers gives it a huge advantage. People will think of both visiting Expo 2015 and having a good holiday. İzmir's geographic location also ensures that people from both Europe and the Middle East will flock to the city,” he said.



The biggest international meeting:

Loscertales, who talked about the spirit of Expo, said: “It is principally about daily matters and is the biggest international meeting. It is a place where governments and NGOs cooperate to solve problems. It is a multicultural showroom. The international community is present and common rules are applied. It is an educational and entertaining spectacle that allows people to make friends.”



In İzmir this month:

Loscertales said he would be visiting İzmir in mid-December to meet with officials and representatives of the business community. “We will give them some advice on how to proceed before flying to Ankara to brief officials there on what they need to do to host Expo.”