Vancouver is North America's top destination for international meetings

Vancouver is North America’s top destination for international meetings, according to a report published today by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).

Every year, the Amsterdam-based organization puts out a report indexing global cities by how many international meetings they’ve hosted in the previous year.

On the newest list, Vancouver comes out on top in North America, having hosted 60 international meetings in 2014. Overall, the ICCA’s report places Vancouver 38th worldwide.

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Not surprisingly, local leaders and key players in Vancouver’s tourism industry are pleased with the ranking.

“We are delighted that Vancouver has been named North America’s top destination for international meetings and conventions,” said the Honourable Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Responsible Labour, in a media release shared by Tourism Vancouver. “It’s an encouraging sign that B.C.’s distinctive and diverse tourism brand is reaching visitors across the globe.”

The Honourable Todd Stone, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure adds: “This prestigious ranking truly underscores Vancouver’s strong reputation as a global meetings destination and the appeal of the award-winning Vancouver Convention Centre,” noting how “vital” the conferences and meetings are for the local economy.

2015 is full of large meetings and conferences in Vancouver, indicates Dave Gazley, vice president of Meeting & Convention Sales, Tourism Vancouver, in particular what Gazley hails as “some of the world’s most influential medical meetings in 2015.”

“We are confident that Vancouver will maintain its top ranking for many years to come,” adds Gazley.