CONGRESS GROWTH IN AACHEN

[BIZ: Aachen, October 17]
The mayor of Aachen Dr Jürgen Linden has spoken about expanding the Eurogress. The congress center has reached capacity in its present form with a maximum of 3,000 participants at its activities, but there are often requests — particularly from the universities and the Jülich Research Center — to provide expanded facilities. Aachen does have considerable potential in this area. Currently the technical options for expansion at the current location are being determined and a position is expected to be taken in February 2008. The conference centers are an important factor in local economies and nowadays a congress center generates 80,000 overnight stays annually, said the mayor. The conference participants spend between 23 and 24 million euros in the city and provide 400/450 jobs.

It is important that Aachen has at least two top quality new hotels and we will be looking for investors, said the mayor. There is also an interest in an additional golf course, which one would look for a private investor. The mayor wants to get on with this complex and get together with the specialists from tourism, the universities, conferences, a casino and business — he wants to get them round the table as soon as possible.
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