An analysis by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), which publishes the annual rankings, placed Prague in the 5th position based on the number of international association meetings held. Prague placed fifth, behind Vienna, Lisbon, Singapore and Barcelona.
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 a year-on-year comparison.
“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.”
– Roman Muška, Director of the Prague Convention Bureau
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 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,” added Roman Muška. ICCA data also confirms the fact that the Czech capital excels in these topics. 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.
The data shows a year-on-year increase in local events. Internationally, Prague is most often requested by organisers from the USA. This corresponds to its 9th place in the ranking of the American server Cvent, which helps event organisers, 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.
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 organisers 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. 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.
