Vienna’s conference balance sheet shows new record figures in 2012: 7% more conferences and corporate events, 8% more overnight stays and 9% more added value across the state than in the previous year.
“The results in the conference and convention sector in no way fall short of our record results in tourism as a whole for 2012,” reports Vienna’s Director of Tourism, Norbert Kettner. “The number of conferences rose to 3,376, 7% more than in 2011; the resulting overnight stays increased by 8% and are now over 1.5 million for the first time.” The added value achieved by the Vienna conference industry grew by 9%. It contributed EUR 914.7 million to the gross domestic product in 2012 and secured around 17,500 non-seasonal jobs.
In total, Vienna recorded around 12.3 million overnight stays by guests in 2012, with conference tourism accounting for 12.4% of those. Above all Vienna has international conferences to thank for its success as a conference destination. They make up only 21% of all events but they bring in half of the visitors, 74% of the overnight stays and 79% of the added value in this sector.
The latest statistics from the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) confirm Vienna as the number one destination worldwide for international conferences for the seventh time in a row in 2011. New hotel projects and high-end shopping facilities as well as the redesign of the area around the Central Station are creating lasting stimuli. For the “green meetings” which are in ever greater demand from the international conference industry, Vienna has 16 certification bodies, giving it a crucial competitive advantage in this area too.
