Vienna, April 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
Vienna announced its second-best conference results ever in 2014: compared to 2013, the number of events, as well as the resulting tourist overnight stays and value added, all increased in 2014, with the final result only slightly behind the record set in 2012.
Norbert Kettner, Director of the Vienna Tourist Board (Norbert Kettner), reported: "In 2014, Vienna achieved significant growth in all key conference indicators compared to the previous year. The number of conferences and corporate events rose by 6% to 3,582, setting a new record level. The resulting tourist overnight stays also increased by 6%, totaling 1,490,695 nights, only slightly behind the previous record set in 2012. The value added generated by Vienna's conference industry for the Austrian economy rose by 8% to €898.9 million, which is also the second-best figure after 2012." In 2014, Vienna recorded a total of 13.5 million tourist overnight stays, with the conference industry contributing 11% of that figure. Across Austria, this contributed to a total of 17,000 full-time jobs in 2014.
According to data from the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), Vienna has been one of the world’s top three conference cities for many years. Kettner explained: "This success is due to several factors. The facilities of the city and universities provide strong support for hosting conferences in the Austrian capital. In addition, with 36 venues certified as 'Green Meetings', Vienna also demonstrates a vision for environmental sustainability. Vienna’s role as a hub in Central Europe has become increasingly important, proving to be a valuable asset. The opening of new luxury hotels and the development of a new district around the central train station have provided further momentum. Vienna currently has nearly 64,000 beds, and there are direct flights to the city from approximately 170 destinations worldwide. The goal of the Vienna Tourism Strategy 2020 is to add direct flights from 20 more major global cities — currently, 72% of conference delegates arrive in Vienna by air."