Vienna conquers the congress throne again: 154 events in 2024!

Vienna conquers the congress throne again: 154 events in 2024!

According to the current ICCA 2024 ranking, Vienna has once again taken first place among the international conference cities. This award marks a return to the global convention scene after the city ranked fourth in 2023. With a total of 154 international congresses, Vienna overtakes Lisbon, which takes second place with 153 congresses, and Singapore, which comes third with 144 congresses. These developments underline Vienna's appeal as an important location for congresses and meetings.

The ICCA ranking is based on the analysis and evaluation of international conferences. Vienna stands out for its solid infrastructure and excellent services for organizing such events. Loud Vienna.gv.at The other cities included in the ranking were Barcelona (142 congresses), Prague (131 congresses), as well as Paris and Seoul (124 congresses each). The consistently high number of congresses in Vienna shows that the city continues to play a pioneering role in international business tourism.

Economic significance of congresses

The economic impact of these congresses is significant. In 2024, they generated added value of around 1.32 billion euros and secured around 23,500 year-round jobs. This is emphasized by Mayor Michael Ludwig, who emphasizes the importance of congresses for the city's economy. In addition, around 365 million euros in tax revenue flowed into public coffers, which represents a significant contribution to the general financing of public services.

The city of Vienna recorded a total of 6,619 congresses and company meetings for 2024, which corresponds to an increase of 3% compared to previous years. This was recognized by Norbert Kettner, the director of WienTourismus, who emphasized the role of congresses in tourism and price stability. Around 670,000 participants ensured an incredible 1.9 million overnight stays in 2024, which corresponds to a remarkable growth of 26%.

The role of the Vienna Convention Bureau

The Vienna Convention Bureau plays a crucial role in the acquisition of international congresses and company meetings. Anita Paic's leadership emphasizes the cooperation of all players in the Vienna conference industry and underlines their importance for maintaining Vienna's status as a leading conference metropolis. Almost two thirds of the congresses that take place in Austria take place in Vienna, which illustrates the city's central role in the national event landscape.

In summary, Vienna remains not only a popular travel destination for tourists, but also a strategically important location for international meetings and congresses. The city ensures its visitors and relies on the continuous development of its infrastructure and services in order to meet the high expectations of congress organizers. These successes are part of the visitor economy strategy and the economic and innovation strategy Vienna 2030, which aims to further establish the city as an internationally active metropolis by 2030.