Spain puts 8 cities in the top European congress tourism rankings
2 July, 2025Spain will be the third country in the world in terms of the number of international congresses organised in 2024, according to the annual ranking of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA). In addition, the country stands out for having eight cities among the top 100 in Europe for meetings tourism, a reflection of the weight of the MICE segment in its tourism strategy.
The ranking only counts rotating international congresses held in at least three countries and with a minimum of 50 delegates.
Barcelona leads the Spanish representation with 142 congresses and 125,826 delegates, which allows it to remain in the world top 5 for the 24th consecutive year. Madrid organised 105 congresses, followed by Valencia (51), Bilbao and Seville (28 each), Malaga (22), and Granada and San Sebastian (15). This geographical distribution confirms the strength of the network of MICE destinations in Spain, with a presence in both large capitals and medium-sized cities.
Turisme de Barcelona stresses the continuity of its leadership, while the City Council values the economic impact of the sector. Jordi Valls, Deputy Mayor and Head of Tourism, points out that the ICCA ranking “demonstrates the solidity of a very important sector for the city”.