Portugal continues to be one of the preferred destinations for congresses and conventions, maintaining its position from 2023, taking 9th place in the world ranking and 7th in the European ranking, according to the latest edition presented this month.
Regarding cities' performance, Lisbon regains the 2nd position in the world ranking that it lost in 2023, and retains the 2nd position in the European ranking, which it has held since 2019. Porto, which will host the 64th ICCA Congress from 9 to 12 November 2025, came 34th in the world ranking and 22nd in the European ranking.
These rankings were compiled by the International Congress and Convention Association and published in the latest edition of the ICCA Business Analytics 2024 Country & City Rankings. The ICCA report focuses mainly on face-to-face meetings, as these represent the core driving force of the events industry, based on knowledge sharing, human interaction and economic impact.
These high rankings reflect the commitment both by the country and Turismo de Portugal to create attractive environments that will appeal to event organisers. The Portugal Events Programme, in effect since April 2023, is particularly important in this respect as it aims to help Portugal attract and stage associative and corporate events.
In 2024, 238 applications were submitted to this support line with regard to associative and corporate events, 63 more than in the previous year; so far, this corresponds to a total of approximately 800,000 euros in incentives awarded.
Turismo de Portugal's financial support mechanism, whose success is evident from the significant demand seen from companies, prioritised events which, having proven their relevance to the sustainability of the tourism sector, would contribute to enhancing the tourist experience or the development of the economy through their positioning, visibility and international image.
