To co-inside with VisitDenmark’s brand new branding platform “Come and join us!” it appears that close to 1 million foreign delegates have already chosen to do so, with more expected to follow…
A new in depth analysis highlights “The Economic Contribution of Meeting Activity in Denmark” and now it’s official; 928,000 commercial[1] foreign delegates visited Denmark in 2010. DKK 3.5 billion was their contribution to the Danish economy and DKK 3,070 was the average daily spending/cost per person. The analysis, based on detailed venue, organiser and delegate surveys, has been conducted by VisitDenmark – the Official Tourism Organisation of Denmark – in corporation with Wonderful Copenhagen CVB, VisitAarhus, VisitEastDenmark and VisitSouthDenmark.
The report worthy of note sheds light on the number of meetings held in Denmark and their significance to the Danish economy on a national, regional and local level. It draws attention to the size of business tourism within the Danish tourism sector; the number of external meetings held, bed nights spent by foreign delegates, their daily spending and much more, and is the result of two years of methodical research and analysis.
Henrik Kahn, Director – VisitDenmark UK/Ireland and Project Owner of the study, explains:
“The tourism industry is a key contributor to economic growth worldwide and the purpose with this study has therefore been twofold: to prove the importance of business tourism to the Danish economy and thereby accomplish further recognition from local, regional and national governments of the meetings sector, and to map the volume, structure and characteristics of meeting activity in Denmark in detail – not least the foreign part of it!”
“We’ve done our research and are encouraged by the findings in the report. Its entirety and the high number of respondents give credibility and validity to the analysis and sure enough, we will use the knowledge pro-actively in our future strategic plans for the further development and promotion of our professional meetings industry,” Kahn continues.
The Danish study is based on the recommendations from the UNTWO on how to establish national accounts of the meetings sector, in combination with the methodology used in a Canadian Study published in 2008; “The Economic Contribution of Meetings Activity in Canada, the Danish TØBBE-figures and more. It also corresponds with the “Meeting Satellite Account” and takes its point of departure in MPI’s definition of meetings.
The findings in the Danish report are the results of thorough research conducted in 2010-2011 and a second report is scheduled for 2013-2014 in order to trace the latest developments within the Danish meetings industry.
[1] Commercial foreign delegates is defined as delegates attending meetings in hired venues in Denmark.
The key findings in the report are:
- The Danish tourism industry (leisure & business tourism) created a direct turnover of DKK 74.6 billion (€10.02 billion) in 2010.
- Thereof the Danish meetings industry created a direct turnover of DKK 20.8 billion (approx. €2.79 billion) of which DKK 11.4 billion (approx. €1.53 billion) is costs of meetings and DKK 9.4 billion (approx. €1.26 billion) is spending from delegates, incl. accommodation, transport and shopping.
- Gross Value Added (GVA) amounts to DKK 15 billion (approx. €2.01 billion), or the equivalent to 1.0 per cent of the Danish GVA, when including derived effects.
- Personal and corporate taxes as well as VAT make up for 1.3 per cent of the totals with DKK 7.8 billion (approx. €1.01 billion).
- Some 37,900 jobs are generated due to the direct and derived effects the industry has on the Danish economy, corresponding to 1.4 per cent of total employment in Denmark.
- The total no. of meetings held in Denmark in 2010 was 187.900 with the total no. of delegates being 6.9 million.
- Commercial foreign delegates contributed with DKK 3.5 billion (approx. €470,505,995) or 17 per cent of all meetings activity in Denmark.
- The no. of commercial foreign delegates in Denmark (2010-figures) was 928,000. Thereof, 201,000 delegates stayed overnight equivalent to 460,000 room nights in 2010, generating DKK 1.5 billion (approx. €201,664,126) of the above mentioned DKK 3.5 billion. Some 60 per cent of these overnight stays were in the Capital region.
- The no. of day delegates is higher than expected as is the turnover from these delegates; DKK 2 billion (approx. €268,860,568) of the above mentioned DKK 3.5 (approx. €470,505,995).
- The average total spending and cost per delegate is DKK 3,070 (approx. €412) thereof the day delegate spending is DKK 1,830 (approx. €246) and the meeting cost DKK 1,240 (approx. €166).
