ITU secretary-general Yoshio Utsumi said Hong Kong's bid to host ITU TELECOM WORLD 2006 offered "clear and distinct advantage to both the event stakeholders and ITU."

Hong Kong outbid four cities - Geneva, Milan, Istanbul and Algiers - to hold the world's biggest telecommunications exhibition at AsiaWorld-Expo which is now being built at the Hong Kong International Airport.

ITU secretary-general Yoshio Utsumi said Hong Kong's bid "gives a clear and distinct advantage to both the event stakeholders and ITU." The bid was 30-50 per cent lower than Geneva's and had a sizeable level of guaranteed sales by Chinese companies and lower indirect costs such as subcontractor and hotel rates. 

Gateway to China's huge telecoms market

Financial Secretary Henry Tang said ITU's decision is a "befitting recognition of Hong Kong's unique role as a gateway to the huge Chinese mainland telecommunications market which is the largest in the world." 

The Government will spend over HK$100 million (US$13 million) to host the event and estimates that some 100,000 overseas visitors will come to the city, generating about HK$1.2 billion (US$155 million) worth of direct economic benefit to Hong Kong. The tourism and hospitality sectors would also be big winners, said Mr Tang. 

The ITU TELECOM WORLD brings together the world's leading telecoms industry players and experts from both the public and private sectors, and attracts attendance of heads of states, regulators and CEOs of multinational corporations. The last ITU TELECOM WORLD was held in Geneva in 2003 and attracted over 900 exhibitors from 51 countries plus 375 industry CEOs and 148 government officials.

ITU is a United Nations specialised agency comprising 189 members. Hong Kong hosted ITU Asia in 2000 and 2002, which were cited as one of the reasons for it being awarded the rights to host ITU TELECOM WORLD.

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