Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The 2022 International Motor Show in Geneva (Switzerland) was postponed to 2023. The organizers indicated the reason for this decision on Thursday on the official website. The statement reads: "Due to the issues affecting the entire automotive industry related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Standing Committee of the International Auto Show was forced to postpone the event until 2023."

In 2020, the Geneva Motor Show was canceled on an emergency basis: just a few days before the start. The reason was the outbreak of the coronavirus in Europe. The result was losses in the amount of about 11 million Swiss francs. The official decision that the exhibition will not be held in 2021 was already made in advance - in the summer of 2020. As noted in the Foundation of the Geneva International Motor Show, most of the exhibitors did not express a desire to exhibit in the spring of this year, but hoped to become participants in the event in 2022.

The organizers cite the pandemic as the main reason for the event’s cancellation. On the one hand, travel between countries is complicated due to covid. On the other hand, disruptions due to the pandemic have led to a shortage of semiconductors and chips, and, according to the organizers, this is the problem that automakers need to tackle in the first place.

“The pandemic is out of control and therefore poses a great threat to an indoor event such as the Geneva International Motor Show. But we see this decision not as a cancellation, but as a postponement, ”said Maurice Turrettini, President of the Standing Committee of the car dealership.

The first Geneva Motor Show was held in 1905. Since 1923, the salon has been held annually, except for 1940-1946. The latest at the moment was the 89th Geneva International Motor Show, which took place on 7-17 March 2019. Starting in 2020, the auto show was canceled due to the pandemic.

The Geneva International Motor Show is the only European class A motor show held annually. This is one of the main places for the presentation of new products from the world’s leading automotive brands.

However, other events still have to be canceled. So, at the end of summer, the New York Auto Show was once again postponed. Traditionally, it is held in the spring, but the organizers did not want to wait a whole year, so the exhibition was supposed to take place at the end of August. The problem, unsurprisingly, is still the same - the threat of the spread of the coronavirus.