The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) has ranked Nigeria as the 14th most sought-after destination for significant meetings in 2023,
This latest development is based on its 2023 ICCA Business Analytics Country and City Rankings Report released on May 13, 2024.
ICCA stated its research team reviewed all the meetings submitted by members, leading to a report containing over 10,000 meetings held in the year 2023.
In ICCA’s Africa Geographical Ranking, Nigeria came 14th while South Africa, Rwanda, Kenya, and Egypt were listed as the top four destinations for meetings in terms of geographical ranking.
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The ICCA mentioned that although geographical divisions are useful for administrative reasons, they might not consistently match the common goals and potentials of regions.
ICCA has implemented a new ranking system aimed at promoting collaboration and increasing the recognition of specific regions globally. This system differentiates between geographical regions and ICCA Chapter Regions.
In the ‘Africa Chapter Ranking’, South Africa, Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana, and Uganda were listed as the top five popular destinations for meetings in Africa in the year under review.
Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Niger came behind.
The ICCA has stated that its “Africa Chapter Ranking” aims to streamline efforts and present a cohesive approach in the worldwide bidding and hosting procedures.
International Conference Bidding Procedures
According to ICCA’s CEO, Senthil Gopinath, the report highlighted the bidding processes undertaken by the relevant stakeholders.
He mentioned that international gatherings and conferences have the potential to yield favorable results worldwide, emphasizing the ICCA’s commitment to catalyzing progress.
What he said in the report;
According to Gopinath; “Our research team has performed exceptionally in compiling this comprehensive data. It’s a cornerstone for our association, providing invaluable insights that empower our members and enhance our community’s strategic positioning.”
“Because association meetings are planned over the long term, preparations for congresses and conventions occur many months and years ahead of the selected date of the event.
“A great deal of planning goes into site selection, choice of vendors, and many other aspects of laying the groundwork for events.
“The meetings held in 2023 were the result of bidding processes that occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
More Insights
The ICCA report showcased how each region has adapted to the competitive global environment.
The report lacked a thorough explanation of the nature of meetings; however, statistics from the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicated that Nigeria receives a significant number of high-level visitors each year.
The National Bureau of Statistics reported that in 2021, Nigerian airports saw a total of 13,006,481 domestic passengers, a significant increase from the 9,069,295 passengers recorded in 2020, reflecting a growth rate of 43.41%.
“The number of arrivals in 2021 stood at 6,533,740, which was higher compared to 4,870,072 in 2020. “Also, departure stood at 6,472,741 in 2021 compared to 4,199,223 in 2020. Similarly, the total number of international passengers who passed through Nigerian airports was 2,219,146 in 2021 as against 1,408,026 passengers in 2020. This represents a 57.61% growth rate. The number of arrivals in 2021 stood at 1,109,621, which was higher compared to 690,765 in 2020.”
However, some passengers may have used Nigeria as a route to other African countries.
What You Should Know About ICCA
The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) was founded in 1963 by a group of travel agents to exchange information on international congresses and conventions.[1][2]
The ICCA, based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, is a nonprofit trade association that serves as the worldwide hub for the meetings industry. Its main objective is to empower its members in creating and sustaining a substantial competitive edge.
It has over 1,000 members in over 90 different countries. The members are divided by the type of company into different sectors which include: destination marketing, meetings management, meetings support, transport, venues, and honorary members.
The member companies and organizations situated in the same geographical area are divided into chapters. The divided chapters include the African, Asia Pacific, Central European, France-BeneLux, Iberian, Latin American, Mediterranean, Middle East, North American, Scandinavian, and UK/Ireland Chapter.
The purpose of dividing the members into sectors and chapters is to enable networking between those members which have certain aspects in common to enhance their business activities in the industry.
The ICCA is a member of the following global organizations: Convention Industry Council (CIC), Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC),[3] World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and the Union of International Associations (UIA).
The association now has an international network of suppliers which is in service for the international meetings industry.
