The City of Tartu, in cooperation with the Estonian Convention Bureau (ECB), recognised international conference organisers and new Tartu Conference Ambassadors for the 13th time this year. The appreciation event took place at the Lydia Event Centre.
Tartu Mayor Urmas Klaas emphasised the importance of conference tourism for the city. “Tartu has proven itself as a valued international conference destination, attracting high-level scientific and professional events and participants from all over the world. Last year saw a significant increase in the number of international conferences, demonstrating the strong potential of Tartu as a university city to host world-class meetings across many fields,” said Klaas.
According to Kadri Karu, Director of the Estonian Convention Bureau, Tartu made a remarkably strong contribution to the development and export of Estonia’s conference sector last year. “In the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) ranking of international conference destinations, Estonia is the clear leader in the Baltics and has now reached 44th place globally. Conferences held in Tartu played a decisive role in this achievement. Tartu’s progress is also reflected in the fact that the city has entered the global Top 100 conference cities for the first time,” Karu noted.
The Estonian Convention Bureau selected the 12th INTECOL Wetlands Conference, organised by the University of Tartu, as the Conference Act of the Year in Tartu 2025, recognising its diverse programme, long duration, and high number of international participants and represented countries.
In addition, 13 international conferences held in Tartu last year were recognised for promoting Estonia’s achievements globally and strengthening Tartu’s visibility as a centre of excellence across different fields. Several annual flagship conferences held in Tartu also received special recognition, including sTARTUp Day and a range of long-running international academic and professional conferences.
Source: Estonian Convention Bureau
