Paris is the world’s number one meetings destination, according to the ICCA City Rankings 2023, which order cities by the number of internationally
rotating association meetings they hold.
The French capital, which hosted 156 meetings, was closely
followed by Singapore (152), Asia’s meetings industry heavyweight, in
second place, with Lisbon (151), hot on its heels in third.
Vienna (141) and Barcelona (139) made up the top five, in a Top 10
dominated by major European cities. Seoul, which occupies 10th spot,
was the only other Asian city in the top 10, which included Prague, Rome, Madrid
and Dublin in that order.
London, which hosted 99 international association meetings in
2023, dropped out of the top 10.
Corinne Menegaux, managing director of Paris je t'aime – Tourist
Office:, said: "We are delighted with this result, but above all proud to see that our
efforts to support the congresses in our sectors of excellence are bearing
fruit. The launch of our Hospitality Manifesto, a collective commitment built
with tourism professionals, optimizes and strengthens the hosting of major
events in our region."
In a joint effort with ICCA members, ICCA’s Research Team
compiled data on almost 10,000 meetings that took place over the course of 2023
throughout every region around the globe.
This year's report stands out for the increased continental
diversity in the Top 20 country rank as, besides European, Asian and North
American countries, Latin America and Oceania were also represented compared to
2022.
Additionally, the findings included the addition of an Asian
destination into the year's top five spots. This result demonstrates the
region's positive development in adapting to such a competitive environment.
The USA once again topped the country rankings with 690 rotating
meetings spread out across the country. The first city in the USA to appear in
the city rankings is Chicago in 71st place with 32 meetings.
ICCA CEO Senthil Gopinath said: "We’re
pleased to share ICCA’s Country and City Rankings for 2023. Our research team
has performed exceptionally in compiling this comprehensive data. It's a
cornerstone for our association, providing invaluable insights that empower our
members and enhance our community's strategic positioning."
Download the
full report here.
Written By
James Lancaster
AMI editor James
Lancaster is a familiar face in the meetings industry and international
association community. Since joining AMI in 2010, he has gained a reputation
for asking difficult questions and getting lost in convention centres. Proofer, podcaster, and panellist - in his spare time, James likes to walk,
read, listen to music, and drink beer.
