Hanover’S Expo 2000, the 22nd in the series of world exhibitions that date back to 1851, looks set to raise the profile of northeast Germany as tour operators combine packages to the event with city breaks in the surrounding area.
The exhibition will be like a vast theme park, filling five halls over a total of 100,000 square metres.
The doors open next June, when visitors will be able to wander round a Hindu temple from Nepal; a Mayan pyramid from Central America; prairie houses from the US; or experience the sights and sounds of the desert in the African zone. A central restaurant will offer dishes from all over the world.
Technology and architecture of the future will feature heavily, in keeping with the theme of Humankind, Nature and Technology, giving the visitor a taste for what the next century holds.
Examples will include insect-resistant bananas that reduce the need for crop-spraying developed by Honduras, and the Dutch vision of the future for today’s cramped modern cities – a pavilion with sand dunes on the ground floor, office space the next floor up, and a lake and generators on the roof.
German National Tourist Office marketing manager Jeanette Schuchmann said: “Think of the Millennium Dome and multiply the area by a hundred. It will attract the kind of people who would enjoy London’s Science Museum – both adults and children. And there will be big-name pop concerts too.
“In the UK, everybody knows Bavaria and the Rhine. Next year with Expo, places like Celle, Hamburg and Bremen – cities which have good hotels and links to the event – will benefit, as hotels in Hanover fill up,” she added.
The GNTOis expecting between 100,000 and 200,000 Britons to visit Expo. “Seville attracted 120,000 visitors. We should top that. This world-class event gives agents an extra reason to sell Germany,” said Schuchmann.
DER Travel business development manager Babette Braun said: “We see Expo as an opportunity to raise the profile of northeast Germany in the FIT market.”
The company has put together a three-night package that combines the Expo with the nearby medieval town of Celle.
“The idea is to use Celle as a base for a day trip to Expo, as it is just 50minutes by train from Hanover. It’s a pretty medieval town, full of half-timbered houses,” said Braun.
A three-night break costs from £369 with flights, accommodation, Expo ticket and transfers.
Moswin Tours has contracted 80,000 bed nights in and around Hanover, and offers a lead-in price of £199 for two nights’ bed and breakfast accommodation and return coach travel from London with Eurolines.
The company is also offering clients the chance to combine Expo with Berlin, the new capital. A seven-night twin-centre package costs around £600 including flights, accommodation, multi-day Expo ticket and rail transfer between Hanover and Berlin. German Travel Centre is offering clients the north German city of Bremen as a base for Expo. Prices start at £193 for return flights and one night in a three-star hotel.
While the UK public is currently in the dark about Expo, the GNTO expects this to change once advertising kicks in. “It has been frustrating that no advertising has been conducted so far, but we are looking forward to the beginning of next year. Expo has put aside a substantial sum to advertise in the national press,” said Schuchmann.
To raise the level of trade knowledge, the GNTO is staging an evening event at the German embassy on November 16 during London’s World Travel Market.
“We are having a massive event at the German embassy for 150 people including the press and tourism sales agents,” said Schuchmann. “We also hope to have a video to give away that will give agents a feel for the size and scale of the event.”
Hanover Expo 2000
Dates: from June 1 – October 31 2000 (153 days).
Sales agents: DERTravel, Moswin Tours, Travelscene, DFDSSeaways (Scandinavian Seaways), German Travel Centre, Groupways Leisure and Kuoni.
Day ticket price: £23 (adult), £53 (family).
Getting there: British Midland flies to Hanover from Heathrow; British Airways flies to Hanover from Manchester; BAand Lufthansa fly to Hamburg from Heathrow; Lufthansa flies to Hamburg from Manchester; BA subsidiary Cityflyer flies to Bremen from Gatwick. Coach company Eurolines operates to Hanover from London Victoria Coach Station. Eurostar to Brussels connects with high-speed trains to Hanover.
Expected UKvisitors: 150,000-200,000.
Number of exhibitors: 185 organisations exhibiting, from Australia to Zimbabwe.
Contact: www.expo2000.de, www.expo2000hotels.com, Expo 2000 sales manual available from GNTO: 020-7317 0908.