The Czech capital has reaffirmed its position among the top 10 most sought-after meeting destinations in the world, despite the growing competition of Asian cities. This year’s ranking is dominated by Vienna, followed by Lisbon, Singapore and Barcelona with Prague in the fifth place.
An analysis by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), which publishes the annual rankings, placed Prague on the 5th position based on the number of international association meetings held. Among European destinations, Prague is 4th and has improved by one position compared to last year. In total, more than 5,100 events took place in the Czech capital in 2024, which is 5% more in year-on-year comparison.
“Prague achieved its position in the top five despite the growing competition from Asian cities, whose reappearance to the ranks of the most popular meeting destinations was slower than, for example, European cities,” says Roman Muška, Director of the Prague Convention Bureau, the organization that officially represents the Prague meetings industry, adding: “The improvement in Prague’s ranking for association congresses and conferences is a clear sign of the city’s dynamic recovery and growing appeal on the international stage. While the overall number of events globally has not yet reached pre-pandemic levels – as confirmed by ICCA data – Prague continues to outperform expectations and strengthen its position as one of Europe’s top meeting destinations.”
“2024 was a record-breaking year for Prague as well as for the Prague Congress Centre – not only in terms of economic performance, but also in the calibre of international events we hosted. From the world’s largest heart and lung transplantation congress (ISHLT) to global tech and business summits, we continue to be a place where ideas, industries and people connect and moments matter.” reviews Lenka Žlebková, CEO of the Prague Congress Centre. “Prague’s position among the world’s top five meeting destinations reflects what international organisers value most: professional infrastructure, innovation, and a clear focus on sustainability. Our continued investments in immersive technologies – such as a full-stage LED wall and advanced AV systems – have paid off as they enable us to deliver world-class experiences that meet the highest expectations of the global event industry.”
According to aggregated data from the Prague Convention Bureau and from the Czech Statistical Office, a total of 5,139 events of various types took place in the Czech capital in 2024, which is 5.1% more in year-on-year comparison. However, compared with the record year of 2019, this is 86.5% of all events held. “Last year, the Prague events attracted more than 804,000 delegates, who, according to the statistics of the Prague Convention Bureau, spent an average of 2.27 days here and most frequently discussed topics from the fields of medical sciences, economics and finance, or IT and telecommunications,” says Roman Muška. The fact that the Czech capital excels in these topics is also confirmed by data from the International Congress and Congress Association. In the number of medical congresses held, Prague ranked fifth globally and in the number of technologically measured congresses, it ranked fourth. Prague is thus succeeding in fulfilling the direction set by the city as part of the Regional Innovation Strategy RIS3. “Our data also show that there was a year-on-year increase in local events, which accounted for 58.5% of international events. On the global scale, Prague is most often requested by organizers from the USA. This corresponds to Prague’s 9th place in the ranking of the American server cvent, which helps event organizers, especially from the USA, to find the most suitable destinations and meeting facilities around the world. Other source markets include the United Kingdom, Germany and France,” concludes Roman Muška.
According to the latest ICCA rankings, Czechia as a whole ranks among the world’s leading congress destinations – placing 21st globally. In addition to Prague, other cities are increasingly attracting the attention of organizers of professional and incentive events. For example, Brno improved its position by more than 30 places year-on-year, moving up to 112th place. This development confirms the growing interest in destinations outside the capital and supports the trend of a more balanced distribution of tourism across regions.
“Prague rightly maintains its position as a top congress destination in Europe and globally. What’s especially encouraging is the growing interest in other cities and regions throughout Czechia. From the perspective of sustainable tourism, this is a key trend. Through MICE events, we can motivate visitors to explore lesser-known locations and help spread tourism more evenly. Congresses also bring economic benefits, enhance the prestige of the host destination, and contribute valuable know-how that can benefit both the public and private sectors. Ultimately, this strengthens the stability of tourism and reinforces the perception of Czechia as an attractive, professional, and innovative congress destination,” says Director of the Czech Tourist Authority – CzechTourism František Reismüller.
