Austria’s meetings industry reached a new milestone in 2024, surpassing pre-crisis levels from 2019 for the first time. This is the key finding of the latest Meeting Industry Report Austria, published by the Austrian Convention Bureau (ACB) and the Austrian National Tourist Office (ÖW).
According to the report, a total of 27,368 events (+4.7%) were held in Austria in 2024, welcoming around 1.83 million participants (+9.9%). The events included 7,512 congresses, 14,358 corporate meetings, and 5,498 seminars. The Austrian conference industry has effectively returned to its pre-pandemic level.
Congress Sector Flourishes – Especially Internationally
Congress activity proved particularly strong, generating over half of all participants (931,449) and once again playing a vital role in supporting tourism outside peak seasons. A significant 67.5% of all congress activity took place in the spring and autumn months (March–May and September–November). The number of large-scale congresses with over 1,000 participants rose to 85, of which 44 were international. Overall congress participation increased by nearly 30,000, with top themes focusing on business, medicine, and the humanities. The most active months for congresses were October, November, and September.
Corporate Meetings Gain Momentum
Corporate meetings made up more than half of all reported events in 2024, underlining their growing role in the business sector. Congress and conference hotels remained the leading venue type, hosting 81% of these meetings and seeing an increase of nearly 700 events (+6.4%). Even more dynamic growth occurred in convention and event centres, where corporate meetings rose by almost 300 events (+40%) and brought in 61,816 more participants (+63.9%). These meetings were held throughout the year, with October, June, and November emerging as the most popular months.
Sustainability Remains a Key Priority
Sustainable event practices continued to gain traction. In 2024, Austria hosted 323 Green Meetings and 226 Green Events certified under guideline UZ 62, involving a total of 718,191 participants. This marked an increase of 161 Green Meetings (+99%) and 98,388 participants (+20%) compared to the previous year. The number of licensed organisations authorised to certify Green Meetings under the Austrian Ecolabel also rose by 11.8%, reaching 133 by the end of the year.
A recent survey among ACB member organisations revealed optimism for the coming years, with 88% of respondents expecting stable or increasing capacity utilisation through 2027. Demand for sustainable event implementation is particularly high, with nearly half seeing it as a growing priority. Nonetheless, the industry faces continued challenges, including geopolitical and economic uncertainties, rising costs, and difficulties in recruiting qualified staff. While satisfaction with employee qualifications is improving, 63% of organisations report that high salary expectations remain a significant concern.
Access the full Meeting Industry Report Austria 2024 here.
