Vienna has replaced Brussels as the leading destination for
international association meetings, according to the Union of International
Associations (UIA).
The UIA’s latest congress ranking for 2025 put the Austrian
capital in first place with 345 meetings, pushing it up one position from the previous
year.
It is the first time in 19 years that Vienna has taken first
place on UIA’s annual rankings, which award positions depending on number of international
association congresses taking place in a destination in one year.
Brussels, which dropped to number two in the rankings, had
held the top spot since 2021.
The top 10:
- 1. Vienna (345 meetings)
- 2.Brussels (329 meetings)
- 3.Seoul (216 meetings)
- 4.Lisbon (174 meetings)
- 5.Tokyo (156 meetings)
- 6.Barcelona (151 meetings)
- 7.Bangkok (131 meetings)
- 8.London (128 meetings)
- 9.Copenhagen (124 meetings)
- 10.Rome
(120 meetings)
Vienna’s UIA triumph comes after it was ranked fourth best congress
city by the International Congress and Convention Association’s (ICCA)
GlobeWatch: Business Analytics – Country & City Rankings 2025.
Anita Paic, head of the Vienna Convention Bureau, said: "Vienna
reclaims first place in the UIA Ranking 2025 for the first time in many years
and, with fourth place in the ICCA Ranking, confirms its strong global position –
an impressive testament to the city's appeal.
“For the Vienna Convention Bureau, this result is both a
validation and an incentive: it shows that close collaboration with Vienna's
meetings industry, the consistent development of impact-oriented event formats,
and the trust of our clients worldwide make all the difference."
Norbert Kettner, CEO of the Vienna Tourist Board, agreed that success was due to the 'close collaboration of stakeholders in Vienna's meeting industry' from congress centres and venues to hotels and agencies.
“More
than six per cent of all recorded congresses take place in Vienna – a share we
aim to maintain together with our partners."
And 2026 looks set to be another successful year for the Austrian capital. In March this year the European Congress on Radiology attracted a record-breaking 22,418 delegates to the Austria Centre Vienna, an increase of nine per cent compared to the previous year's attendance.
Brussels meanwhile is coming to terms with the fact that funding for its convention bureau has been all but wiped-out, following deep budget cuts by the regional government.
