Brussels is the world's No. 1 city for international meetings organised by international organisations, according to the Union of International Associations (UIA), which issued its 66th International Meetings Statistics Report on Tuesday.
According to visit.brussels, the report is one of the most significant benchmarks in the conference sector.
As in previous editions, Brussels leads the rankings, hosting the highest number of international meetings for nonprofit organisations globally: 388 out of 8,859 meetings held worldwide in 2024 took place in the Belgian capital. Vienna followed with 239 meetings, Seoul with 180, Barcelona with 159, and Tokyo with 148.
This marks the fourth consecutive year that Brussels has held the top position globally, reinforcing its status as an international conference hub. From 2005 to 2024, Brussels has consistently maintained the lead, followed closely by Singapore and Vienna.
Brussels’ success comes in a year when tourism reached record levels, according to visit.brussels. In 2024, nearly 10 million overnight stays were recorded in the city, a significant increase over 2023 figures (+4.8% based on provisional data) and 3.6% higher than the previous record, reached in 2019.
July, November, and December, in particular, saw substantial growth, but even typically quieter months such as January and February experienced increases last year.
That resulted in a more balanced distribution of visitors throughout the year, according to visit.brussels.
