Top List Destinations. Which cities have the strongest meetings appeal?

Short for time? Scroll to the bottom to discover the key takeaways.

Mike Fletcher reviews the Top List destination rankings to discover which cities are attracting the most MICE planner enquiries made through Cvent’s venue-sourcing platform. 

London, Singapore, Dubai and Orlando have each held on to their first-place positions as the cities which annually attract the most group business enquiries in their regions, according to the Cvent Supplier Network.

Between January and December each year, Cvent analyses venue-sourcing activity on its platform, which features more than 12,500 cities worldwide.

Industry-acclaimed ‘Top List’ rankings are then determined by the number of total room nights booked; the number of unique RFPs sent through the marketplace to venues within each city; the value of the RFPs submitted, and the actual value for meetings booked. In 2023, group business tourism valued at US$16 billion was sourced through Cvent’s sourcing network.

The Top Lists are segmented by region for Europe (including the UK), the Middle East & Africa, North America and Asia-Pacific.

Each list reveals which destinations are being considered by Cvent customers for their meetings and events programs, helping hospitality, travel and tourism professionals understand current demand and popularity.

Let’s take a look at the Top Lists 2023 results for each region

In a repeat of the previous year’s list of European meeting destinations, London is again the number one choice for planners.

Barcelona remains second while Madrid has moved up one place to replace Paris in third. In 2023, the Spanish capital hosted 20 major conferences, driving an economic impact of €88 million.

Berlin takes the fourth spot, ahead of Lisbon in fifth, Amsterdam in sixth and Paris in seventh.

Rome (8th), Frankfurt (9th) and Munich (10th) make up the Top 10 Destination list for Europe. 

Just outside the top ten is Dublin, Ireland, which has jumped seven places from 17th to 11th. Meanwhile, Budapest, Hungary, has gone from 25th to 19th position. 

Two other English cities to make the top 25 are Manchester (23rd) and Birmingham (24th).

“We’re delighted to lead the Cvent Top Meeting Destinations in Europe list again. London saw significant growth last year with 30 new hotels. This year, we’re on track to nearly double that number. We’re particularly excited about the upcoming transformation of ExCeL London, with a £200m investment breathing new life into the venue. Cvent has been instrumental in showcasing what London offers and bringing us great new clients. We truly value the partnership.”

 - Fiona Plumpton, Head of London Convention Bureau Services 

Top European Meeting Destinations

1. London, UK (-)
2. Barcelona, Spain (-)
3. Madrid, Spain (+1)
4. Berlin, Germany (+2)
5. Lisbon, Portugal (-)
6. Amsterdam, the Netherlands (+1)
7. Paris, France (-4)
8. Rome, Italy (-)
9. Frankfurt, Germany (-)
10. Munich, Germany (-)

Singapore remains on top in the Asia-Pacific region, with Bangkok and Sydney swapping places for second and third respectively.

Tokyo jumps two places into fourth while Shanghai in China also jumps two places to get into the Top 10 for the first time.

The South Korean capital, Seoul drops two places into sixth, just behind Melbourne in fifth.

Kuala Lumpur (7th), Bali (8th) and Phuket (9th) complete the Top 10 Destination List for Asia-Pacific.

Further down the Top 25 Meeting Destination List for Asia Pacific, Hong Kong has soared six places from 20th to 14th.

India is also on the rise, with its most popular destination Bengaluru, climbing two places from 15th to 13th. Mumbai and New Dehli have climbed five places and now rank 18th and 19th respectively.

Top Asia-Pacific Meeting Destinations

1. Singapore (-)
2. Bangkok, Thailand (+1)
3. Sydney, Australia (-1)
4. Tokyo, Japan (+2)
5. Melbourne, Australia (-)
6. Seoul, South Korea (-2)
7. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (+1)
8. Bali, Indonesia (-1)
9. Phuket, Thailand (+1)
10. Shanghai, China (+2)

Orlando Florida’s appeal as an event destination remains ever-green as it clinches the North American top spot for a seventh consecutive year.

“We’re honoured that Orlando continues to lead as the Cvent Top Meeting Destination in North America. When groups meet in Orlando, they not only support our local businesses, vendors and hospitality workers but they also make an indelible impact on our community through charitable donations and endeavours. Planners love meeting in Orlando as our destination has the space, venues, accommodations, dining, entertainment and services needed to create memorable and productive events.”

- Casandra Matej, President & CEO, Visit Orlando

Las Vegas has climbed two places to take second place, replacing Nashville, Tennessee which drops into third.

Dallas, TX, is the highest climber, going from seventh to fourth. With many planned hotel openings and plans to expand the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, it is likely to continue its upward trajectory.

The fifth spot goes to San Diego, California, followed by Chicago (6th) and Atlanta (7th).

Denver, Colorado has improved two places to take eighth place, likely driven by the $US233 million expansion of the Colorado Convention Center.

Phoenix, Arizona (9th) and Austin, Texas (10th) make up the Top 10 Destination List for North America.

Further down the Top 50 list, Washington, D.C. has dropped from 11th to 18th, while Arlington, TX, is a new entry, in at 34. 

Tempe, AZ, also joins the list in the 45th spot.

Top North American Meeting Destinations

1. Orlando, Florida (-)
2. Las Vegas, Nevada (+2)
3. Nashville, Tennessee (-1)
4. Dallas, Texas (+3)
5. San Diego, California (-2)
6. Chicago, Illinois (-1)
7. Atlanta, Georgia (-1)
8. Denver, Colorado (+2)
9. Phoenix, Arizona (-)
10. Austin, Texas (-2)

Dubai still dominates the Middle East & Africa, with Istanbul retaining its second-place position.

Abu Dhabi and Marrakech have swapped places to take third and fourth place respectively. Cape Town remains in fifth position and Ciro remains in sixth.

There then follows three significant rises from destinations considered ‘ones to watch’. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has jumped from 12th to seventh, the Qatari capital Doha has gone from 11th to eighth, and Casablanca, Morocco, has leapt from 16th to tenth. 

Johannesburg makes up the Top 10 by retaining its ninth place.

There are also interesting insights further down in the Top 25 Destinations in the Middle East & Africa.

Nairobi, Kenya has jumped from 18th to 12th, and Rabat, Morocco, has gone from 23rd to 17th.

New entries and additional ‘ones to watch’ include Accra, Ghana (16th) and Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (18th).

Top Meeting Destinations in the Middle East and Africa

1. Dubai, UAE (-)
2. Istanbul, Türkiye (-)
3. Abu Dhabi, UAE (+1)
4. Marrakech, Morocco (-1)
5. Cape Town, South Africa (-)
6. Cairo, Egypt (-)
7. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (+5)
8. Doha, Qatar (+3)
9. Johannesburg, South Africa (-)
10. Casablanca, Morocco (+6)

To delve further into the Top Destinations, visit the Cvent Top Lists page.