With 204 congresses listed for 2013 alone by the ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association), the benchmark institution in the market, Paris is the leading destination for the organisation of international congresses. The French capital is ahead of Madrid (186 conventions) and Vienna (182 conventions). More than the growth in the number of congresses, it is above all the attendance generated by these events that has seen spectacular growth compared to 2012: 752,300 participants attended one of these events, i.e. 20% more than in 2012. These visitors played a major role in boosting the Paris hotel industry's bottom line, with congresses generating 1.9 million overnight stays last year, or 9% of the total number of business visitors recorded in 2013. In total, the economic impact of these events is estimated at more than €1.167 billion: a figure that is also up sharply on 2012 (+13%).
