"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.
