’s business travel and meetings market grew by 26% last year. And the congresses, conventions, and incentive travel sector recorded its best ever numbers with 360,335 delegates, a rise of 74,184 professionals on 2003.

These excellent results came off the back of strong growth in the conventions and product presentations market, which grew 41.6% to stand at 166,627 people. Meanwhile the congress market also improved to stand at 193,708 delegates, a 15% rise on 2003’s results.

The vice-president of Turisme de Barcelona, Jordi Portabella, says these excellent results in congresses and conventions shows “the consolidation of Barcelona’s position as a business travel and meetings city, in a year that Barcelona is also holding the EIBTM trade fair, a world leader in the meetings sector, and just a year from Barcelona’s hosting of 3GSM World Congress, the most important trade fair for the mobile telephone sector.”

A total of 1,146 meetings took place in Barcelona last year, a rise of 0.6% on 2003; the average registration for these was higher than that of 2003.

Portabella adds: “Barcelona has consolidated its position as a business travel and meetings city”