The latest statistical report from the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) on global conference destinations reveals that Estonia continues to surpass both Latvia and Lithuania in the number of international association conferences held. In 2023, Estonia hosted 54 international association conferences, ranking 45th globally among countries. Lithuania is ranked 48th, and Latvia 58th.
In terms of cities, the capital Tallinn is ranked 64th globally with 36 conferences in 2023, while Tartu is 117th with 18 conferences. Leading conference cities worldwide include Paris, Singapore, Lisbon, Vienna, and Barcelona. The countries with the highest number of association conferences in 2023 were the USA, Italy, Spain, France, and Germany.
This year, the ICCA rankings cover 156 countries and 1,486 cities. The rankings consider international association conferences that are held regularly, rotate among at least three countries, and have a minimum of 50 delegates.
According to Kadri Karu, Managing Director of the Estonian Convention Bureau, Estonia’s high position in the ICCA rankings reflects that Estonian scientists, specialists, and entrepreneurs are active in their international networks and confidently take on the role of conference organisers, inviting colleagues to Estonia. In addition to the professional benefits for the event organisers, international conferences significantly benefit tourism and the broader economy. Given the intense global competition, support measures from the state and cities are crucial for increasing the number of specialty conferences—both for organising conferences and for bidding for the right to host them. It is important to note that the ICCA rankings only consider rotating specialty association conferences. Besides these, many other seminars, conferences, and meetings took place in Estonia, enhancing the country’s international visibility as a competence center in various fields and fostering important scientific, professional, and business contacts for Estonia,” added Karu.
