19.000 square metres of exhibition tent

Work continued yesterday on erecting the 19'000 square metre exhibition tent which will house next month's tenth Tecnoturistica 2000 international trade fair. The site of the fair was yesterday visited by the Balearic Minister for Commerce, Deputy Chief Minister, Pere Sampol, who said that this year's event is expected to attract 90'000 visitors. Sampol was shown one of the four tents which are incorporated in the huge structure, which is believed to be one of the largest exhibition tents in Europe. Sampol and the heads of Fires y Congressos, which organises the local trade fairs, explained that the exhibition tent is being built because the Balearics still does not have an exhibition centre large enough to house trade fairs on such a scale and that a new exhibition centre will not be ready for at least another five years. “If we would have had to wait for the new centre, it would have been the end of Tecnoturística,” Sampol declared, adding that the fair is the most important of its kind in Europe. Sampol says that the fair has come around again “at a good time for the local economy and tourist industry.”