Prague targets high-value business travellers after global congress ranking boost

The Czech capital hosted more than 5,000 events and 850,000 delegates in 2025 as it brings business and leisure tourism under one premium city brand

Prague is pushing to attract more high-spending business visitors after ranking among the world’s top 10 meeting destinations.

The Czech capital placed sixth in the latest International Congress and Convention Association ranking, which compares cities by the number of qualifying association meetings they host.

Lisbon topped the latest ranking, followed by Paris and Barcelona, with Prague remaining among the world’s most important destinations for congresses, conferences and business events.

New aggregated figures from the Czech Statistical Office and the Prague Convention Bureau show that more than 5,000 events of various types took place in the city in 2025.

The strongest growth came from smaller events for 50 to 500 delegates, according to data from the Prague Convention Bureau’s membership base.

Prague also hosted more than 50 major professional congresses, conferences and corporate events with more than 1,000 delegates.

Across the year, the city’s meetings and events sector attracted more than 850,000 delegates, official figures show.

They included the 47th Congress of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, which attracted more than 4,700 delegates, and the 25th World Congress of Psychiatry, attended by more than 3,400 experts from 117 countries.

The U.S, Germany, UK, France and Switzerland were Prague’s most important source markets last year.

International events accounted for 43 per cent of the total, while one-day events continued to dominate the city’s meetings industry.

The average event duration was said to be close to two days.

Roman Muška, director of the Prague Convention Bureau, said competition between meeting destinations was intensifying as cities invested more heavily in winning major international events.

He said: “Competition among meeting destinations has been growing for a long time, and not only the quality of infrastructure, but also the ability of cities to actively acquire major international events plays an increasingly important role.

“Today, destinations around the world are investing heavily in acquisition activities and the acquisition of congresses and conferences through their convention bureaus.

“Therefore, the project of planned expansion of the capacities of the Prague Congress Centre, the implementation of which will begin in June this year and is expected to be completed in 2029, will be crucial for Prague’s future competitiveness.

“Just as much, as the city’s ability to succeed in the global competition for the organisation of the most important international congresses and conferences in the long term.”

The city is also bringing its tourism promotion under a single brand, with business travel sitting alongside leisure tourism for the first time.

The rebranding of the Prague Convention Bureau is being delivered by Prague City Tourism and funded by the City of Prague, with further investment planned.

The move is intended to support Prague’s 2024 to 2027 strategy to become a more cultivated, premium destination, moving away from its image as a cheap mass-market city break.

Tomáš Slabihoudek, Prague councillor for culture and tourism, said: “A consistent, joined-up presentation is absolutely fundamental if cities want to compete on the world stage these days.

“A strong identity pulls its weight not just in leisure tourism, but also when you’re going after major congresses, conferences, and the kind of high-value clients cities really want to attract.”

Jana Adamcová, vice-chair of the Prague City Tourism board, said business tourism was central to Prague’s premium positioning because congress visitors bring higher spending, expertise, contacts and international prestige.

She said: “Prague has spent several years systematically trying to shake off its image as a cheap, mass-market destination and to be seen as a city of culture, quality, and exceptional genius loci.

“Business tourism fits into that naturally. Congress visitors don’t just have a higher spend; they also bring expertise, contacts, and international prestige.

“If Prague wants to present itself as a premium destination, it has to do that across all tourism segments.”

READ MORE: MICE market forecast to reach $2.3tn by 2032, report says. Global meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions sector set to quadruple in value over a decade, with growth driven by hybrid events, corporate travel and infrastructure investment.

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_{Main image: Prague’s skyline, with Prague Castle and St Vitus Cathedral in the distance. The Czech capital hosted more than 5,000 events and 850,000 delegates in 2025 as it strengthens its position as a premium business travel destination. Credit: Prague Convention Bureau}