Congress tourism: Florence ranks in the global top 100

Congresses
Interno di un auditorium con una capienza di molte persone del Palazzo dei Congressi, dotato di poltrone rosse e un soffitto a forma di onde; sul palco centrale si trova uno schermo con informazioni sul programma, mentre diversi partecipanti sono seduti e alcuni si muovono nel locale.

Florence, May 22nd, 2025. Italy reaffirms its leading role as a top congress destination on the international stage, with the city of Florence ranking among the world’s top 100 cities, alongside Rome, Milan, Bologna, Naples and Turin. These results come from the 2024 ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) rankings.

Over the past year, Italy placed second worldwide with 635 international congresses, behind only the United States, which held first place with 709 congresses. As for the performance of Italian cities, Rome maintained its position in the global top 10, securing 9th place with 114 congresses, while Milan rose from 29th to 14th place with 100 congresses.

The ICCA study is a key indicator of the global congress tourism market, based on an analysis of regularly recurring international congresses that rotate among at least three countries.

The report explicitly acknowledges the work carried out by Convention Bureau Italia. “The numbers speak for themselves: Italy is not only competitive but accelerating rapidly,” said Carlotta Ferrari, President of Convention Bureau Italia. “Florence has been investing in congress tourism for years, following a strategy that prioritizes quality and the alignment of congress themes with the city’s development,” Ferrari added. “We’re not chasing numbers, but focusing on international events that are relevant in terms of content and the value they bring to the territory, such as in medicine, robotics, pediatrics, sustainable mobility and innovation. This approach is based on strong teamwork involving Firenze Fiera, the University of Florence and a network of scientific and academic ambassadors who make our offering credible on the global stage.”

Jacopo Vicini, Florence’s City Councillor for Tourism, commented: “For over ten years, Florence has been investing in congress development as a strategic asset for our city. The collaboration with Firenze Fiera and the presence of qualified operators in the region have always made Florence a prime destination for major international association congresses”.