Global Recognition for Vienna

June 29, 2026

The Union of International Associations (UIA) has published its latest congress ranking for 2025: Vienna takes 1st place worldwide, ahead of Brussels.

Already in May of this year, the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) ranked Vienna 4th among the world’s most sought-after congress destinations. The analysis of international association congresses published by the UIA ranks alongside the ICCA ranking as one of the industry’s most important benchmarks.

In the current UIA ranking, Vienna achieves first place with 345 meetings, improving from second place in the previous year; the last time the city topped the UIA ranking was in 2006. Behind Vienna are Brussels (329 meetings), Seoul (216), Lisbon (174) and Tokyo (156). Places 6 to 10 are held by Barcelona (151), Bangkok (131), London (128), Copenhagen (124) and Rome (120).

With 6.2 percent of all conventions among the 100 cities surveyed, Vienna accounts for a significant share. Over the past 25 years, the Austrian capital has consistently ranked among the top 5.

ICCA Ranking: Vienna Again Among the Global Elite

Vienna also confirms its strong position in the ICCA Ranking 2025: with 159 international congresses, the city ranks 4th worldwide. The ranking is led by Lisbon (188), followed by Paris (174) and Barcelona (166). Behind Vienna are Singapore (156), Prague (133), Copenhagen (131), London (124), Seoul (121) and Tokyo (119). In the leading knowledge sector “Medical Science”, Vienna even takes first place, ahead of Barcelona, Lisbon and Paris. Overall, Vienna has reached 1st place in the ICCA ranking twelve times over the past 25 years.

Two local industry leaders weighed in on Austria’s capital city:

Norbert Kettner, CEO of Vienna Tourist Board
“The top ranking in the UIA ranking underlines the international competitiveness and quality of Vienna as a meeting destination. More than six percent of all recorded congresses take place in Vienna – a share we aim to maintain together with our partners. This success is the result of the close collaboration of all stakeholders in Vienna’s meeting industry – from congress centers and venues to hotels and agencies, through to our clients. My sincere thanks go to all of them for their long-standing cooperation.”

Anita Paic, Head of the Vienna Convention Bureau
“Vienna reclaims first place in the UIA Ranking 2025 for the first time in many years and, with 4th place in the ICCA Ranking, confirms its strong global position – an impressive testament to the city’s appeal. For the Vienna Convention Bureau, this result is both a validation and an incentive: it shows that close collaboration with Vienna’s meetings industry, the consistent development of impact-oriented event formats, and the trust of our clients worldwide make all the difference.“

Vienna also recently hosted the prestigious 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, with the Grand Final held on May 16th.