Barcelona continues to consolidate its position as a world leader in the organization of congresses and conventions.
According to the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), the Catalan capital will host 135,000 congress attendees in 2022, placing it at the top of the world ranking.
This figure exceeds cities such as Vienna (105,000) and Paris, Lisbon, Milan and London. Madrid ranks eighth, with 59,000 delegates.
These data were revealed by ICCA during IMEX, the congress and convention industry trade fair (MICE) taking place this week in Frankfurt.
In addition to its leadership in the number of congress participants, Barcelona also stands out in the ranking of the best cities in terms of the number of congresses held.
It ranks fourth in the Top 5, after Vienna, Lisbon and Paris.
However, it should be noted that this ranking only counts international congresses rotating among three countries and with at least 50 delegates, so it does not include events as relevant as the MWC or the ISE.
The ranking of leaders in congresses and conventions in 2022
In 2022, in the midst of the sector’s post-pandemic recovery, Vienna was the city chosen to host 162 congresses, followed by Lisbon with 144, Paris with 134 and Barcelona with 133.
Prague ranks fifth, with 129 MICE events.
Turisme de Barcelona highlights that Barcelona is the first non-capital city of a state and the first in the entire Spanish territory in terms of the number of congresses organized in 2022, accumulating more than 20 consecutive years in the Top 5 of international congresses.
This fourth place ranking represents an upgrade from 2021, when the city was ranked fifth. In 2017, considered the best year in Barcelona’s history in this area, the city was the number one global destination with 195 congresses.
In terms of delegate numbers, Barcelona became the industry leader in 2017, when it overtook Vienna with 160,000 congress attendees.
Since then, the city has topped this ranking, except in the atypical year 2020 due to the pandemic. In the last decade, the total number of delegates has exceeded one million.
Turisme de Barcelona highlights that more than 60% of the congress participants state that the city chosen as the venue for the congress has a decisive influence on their participation.
World leaders
Barcelona’s worldwide recognition as a congress venue reaffirms its position as one of the leading destinations for the organization of events and highlights its scientific and technological excellence.
Eduard Torres, president of the executive committee of Turisme de Barcelona, highlights the strategic importance of congresses for the economic return they generate for the city and its business fabric.
He also highlights the success of the public-private partnership model in Barcelona.
Christoph Tessmar, director of the Barcelona Convention Bureau (BCB), emphasizes that Barcelona is a very attractive destination for the MICE sector.
