By John Ikani
The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) has unveiled its 2024 ranking for the most popular African destinations for significant meetings held in 2023.
Released on May 13, 2024, the ranking crowned South Africa as the top choice for hosting important meetings last year.
ICCA’s Africa Geographical Ranking placed South Africa at the forefront, followed by Rwanda, Kenya, Egypt, and Uganda, rounding out the top five most sought-after destinations for prominent meetings in 2023.
Other African nations within the top 10 rankings included Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Niger.
Interestingly, Nigeria, despite holding the title of Africa’s largest market, secured the 14th position on the list.
ICCA acknowledged that geographical divisions, while serving administrative purposes, may not always perfectly reflect the combined potential and interests of specific regions.
READ ALSO: Ireland, Norland, Spain, Recognise Palestine As Independent State
Shedding light on the report, ICCA CEO Senthil Gopinath explained how the ICCA team meticulously reviewed all meeting submissions from members.
This resulted in a comprehensive report encompassing over 10,000 meetings held throughout the calendar year 2023.
“Our research team deserves immense credit for compiling this extensive data,” Gopinath remarked.
READ ALSO: Ireland, Norland, Spain, Recognise Palestine As Independent State
“This report serves as a crucial foundation for our organization, providing valuable insights that empower our members and strengthen our community’s strategic positioning.”
Highlighting the significance of these rankings, Gopinath emphasized, “International meetings and events have the potential to generate positive impacts across the globe. ICCA remains committed to its role as a catalyst for change.”
Recognizing the need for collaboration and bolstering regional visibility on the international scene, ICCA introduced an alternative ranking system.
This system differentiates between geographical regions and ICCA Chapter Regions, drawing upon data from the 2023 ICCA Business Analytics Country and City Rankings Report.
