Turkey aiming high at Shanghai Expo 2010
Some 194 countries, 54 cities and many international
associations are expected to participate in the event, which hopes to
attract roughly 70 million visitors.
Hurriyet Newspaper - March 9, 2010
Turkey expects its pavilion at the upcoming Shanghai Expo to be a hit
as it hopes to attract 7 million visitors, according to the High
Commissioner of Shanghai Expo Turkey.
"With this opportunity, Turkey is aiming to increase its tourism
potential and attract more tourists," Sencar Özsoy said during a press
conference Tuesday in Istanbul.
The expo, where different cultures and heritages come together, is being organized on the
theme "Better City, Better Life," a reference to humanitys common
desire for better living conditions in future urban environments. By
turning a 5.28-square-kilometer area at the core of the city over to
exhibitions, events and forums, Shanghai hopes to build a powerful and
lasting pilot example of sustainable and harmonious urban living.
We will present Turkey with Çatalhöyük, which was the first known
settlement in the world, said Özsoy. Çatalhöyük was a large Neolithic
and Chalcolithic settlement in southern Anatolia from approximately 7500
BCE to 5700 BCE. It is the worlds largest and best preserved Neolithic
site.
We constructed a Çatalhöyük-style building for the expo. We aim to
show people that Better City, Better Life, took its roots from
Anatolia and is still here. Thats why Anatolia will be the secondary
main theme in representing Turkey. We believe this will attract
visitors."
The Turkish pavilion will also feature 360-degree video of Istanbul,
said Özsoy. "We were unable to find any technological innovation [with
which to present Turkey] so we decided to create an exclusive movie.
Following Expo 2008 in Zaragoza, the number of tourists arriving in
Turkey rose 10 to 15 percent, Özsoy said.
This years Turkey pavilion will also have strong supporters such as
Turkish Airlines, the Culture and Tourism Ministry and the Foreign
Ministry. Turkey will also have a business center organized by the
Turkish Exporters' Assembly, or TİM. "This will contribute to Turkish
economy. The expo may bring forth some new business opportunities," he
said.
Turkey also aims to increase its trade relations with China as a
result of the Shanghai expo, Özsoy said. Trade volume between Turkey and
China currently stands at $17 billion.
Shanghai Expo 2010 will be one of the largest events in the world
this year, with 6 million cultural shows, as well as the biggest
exposition in world history, said Özsoy. The overall budget of the expo
is $4.5 billion, which is double the budget for the Beijing Olympics.
Some 194 countries, 54 cities and many international associations are
expected to participate in the event, which hopes to attract roughly 70
million visitors.
Given the magnitude of this years fair, Özsoy said, This is the
biggest opportunity for Turkey to present itself." The expo runs from May 1 to Oct. 31, 2010.