Wroclaw Fails to Get Expo Second Time Running
Wroclaw once again failed to secure the bid for hosting the Expo in 2012. Only 13 out of the possible 140 countries voted for the city on Monday. The South Korean town of Yeosu won the bid
The International Exhibitions Bureau voted in Paris on Monday. The South Korean port city won with 77 votes, beating Morocco?s Tangiers with its 63 votes in the second round. Wroclaw did not make it into the second round as it only scored 13 in the first round of voting.
The World Expo is considered to be on of the three largest global events along with the World Cup and the Olympics. Had Wroclaw one the bid some 40 thousand jobs would have been created and the city would have seen a fast development of its infrastructure.
Yeosu convinced the voters with its emphasis on the universal values of the global environment. The multi-media presentation emphasized Korea’s ocean and its coast and its stable development and variable resources.
The Moroccan city of Tangiers presented an “African dream” perspective, uniting cultures and the world. Wroclaw concentrated on the idea of being the “centre of Europe”, with an appearance from Poland’s famous film director Roman Polanski, who promoted the city on stage.
Wroclaw could do little to convince the voters of its ability to host the World Expo. With Korea?s previous experience in hosting the Olympics and the World Cup, Wroclaw’s measly presentation of flag waving could not match Yeosu?s hundreds of dancers performing to the rhythm of Korean drums.
The World Expo is expected to create some 90 thousand jobs and generate ten trillion won ($10.7 billion US) in Korea. The strong South Korean economy has hosted the World Expo previously in 1993 and along with Japan it is the only other Asian country to have opened such an event. The international event however will be hosted in China?s Shanghai in 2010.
The Polish presenters at the voting on Monday urged to vote according to rules of fair play. Two years ago the number of IEB voting countries stood at 98. The three cities allegedly made a gentleman?s pact the previous year not to invite any more new countries to vote. According to Wroclaw?s mayor Rafal Dudkiewicz, the pact was broken when South Korea began a campaign of inviting new member countries in the last months of the Expo campaign. There were 140 countries voting on Monday in Paris. Wroclaw stood little chance in succeeding.