Following the publication of ICCA’s “International Meetings Market” Report on Friday, ICCA released the summary below with the key findings of this years study:

Market share per continent

Europe had the largest global market share in 2004 with 60%.  Asia’s market share rose from 16% in 2003 to 18% of the total number of meetings in 2004, at the cost of Europe, which dropped by 2%. Other regions of the world remained relatively the same.

Number of meetings per country and city

The U.S.A. still holds more international association meetings than any other country. Germany and France both rise two places respectively from 4th and 6th to 2nd and 4th place. The other Top 5 countries are Spain, who are 3rd and the United Kingdom, who are 5th. The Netherlands rise from number 10 to number 6. Italy is 7th in 2004, Australia takes 8th place and Japan and Austria, who were respectively number 11 and 12 and are now ranked at number 9 and 10.

Barcelona has switched places with Vienna and tops the charts as the most popular city in 2004. Singapore remains 3rd and Berlin and Copenhagen both rise two places respectively from 6th and 8th to 4th and 6th place. Newcomers to the top ten cities are Hong Kong, rising from number 18 to number 5, and Paris who rose from number 12 to number 7. Lisbon is 8th and Budapest shares 9th place with Stockholm. Other worthy mentions are Beijing, who rises from 35th place to a shared 11th place with Amsterdam, and Athens, who rises from 46th to 20th place.

ICCA’s statistics published in the same month as the World Tourism Organization (WTO) share 7 countries of the top ten and a number of key comparisons, Spain being 2^nd in the “World’s Top Tourism Destinations” and 3^rd in ICCA’s “Top Meetings Destinations”. The USA is also present in both top 3’s in 1^st place as a Meeting Destination and 3^rd as a tourism destination.

For more information on the statistics including International Rotation, Association Headquarters, Number of participants, seasonality/length, delegate expenditure and venues visit the website:   ICCA World- Statistics