“This year, Greece requested to join the trade show for the first time since 1993. Greece will promote the island of Lesbos,” said Ali Rıza Gülerman, director-general of İZFAS – the fair organizing company.
Greece’s request to participate to the fair is welcome, Gülerman said.
Noting that Greece had cancelled its participation in the fair in 2001, he said: “Greece applied to participate so that it can promote Lesbos Island. We attribute this to the recent development of relations between the two countries.”
There have been recent tourist exchanges between Turkish coastal regions and Greek islands, and Greece aims to make its islands even more popular at the fair, Gülerman said.
He also said Middle Eastern countries would again participate in the fair despite the turmoil in the region as a result of the Arab Spring.
The 80th Izmir International Fair will open on Sept. 8. Some 1,100 companies will participate in the fair, among which 250 will be foreign firms representing about 60 different countries. The number of visitors to the fair is expected to reach 1.5 million people.
Austria will be Turkey’s partner at the show, while the Aegean province of Denizli will be the partner province. The theme of this year’s event is “Environment and Environmental Technologies.”
Austria will have a 529-square-meter stand, according to Gülerman. “Austria will bring together Turkish and Austrian investors at four different events about the environment, urban planning, tourism and alternative architecture,” he said.
The fair will also feature an environmental summit on Sept. 15 and 17.
*The summit aims to increase public awareness on environmental issues. The fair’s traditional World Cuisine Festival will be substituted by the Local Tastes Festival this year. |
Source : hurriyetdailynews.com
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