Regions Are Gaining Strength and Attracting More Professional Events
In addition to the capital city, other Czech destinations are increasingly drawing the attention of congress and incentive event organizers. International ICCA rankings include cities such as Brno, Olomouc, Pardubice, Mikulov and Liblice. This confirms that congress tourism in Czechia is no longer concentrated solely in the capital. More and more space is being given to regional destinations capable of offering high-quality facilities, attractive surroundings and professional-level services.
This opens up new opportunities for the regions — from the development of hotel and conference capacities to accompanying programmes and broader involvement of local businesses. Destinations that can respond flexibly to the needs of organisers and participants have a clear advantage.
Organisers Want More Than Just a Conference Hall
The world of congress tourism is changing rapidly. Alongside decentralisation, sustainability is becoming increasingly important. Organisers are paying closer attention to environmental impact, the involvement of local communities and the long-term benefits events bring to destinations. Modern technologies and artificial intelligence are also playing a stronger role, transforming both the format of congresses and participants’ expectations.
At the same time, lesser-known destinations with an authentic atmosphere and high-quality infrastructure are moving into the spotlight. Successful regions are increasingly connecting professional events with universities, research institutions, local partners and regional businesses.
Congress Tourism Brings Business and New Opportunities
Congress and incentive tourism ranks among the most important segments of the travel industry. Participants in these events tend to spend more during their business trips, use higher-quality services and often travel outside the main tourist season. Hotels, restaurants, transport providers and local businesses all benefit from this segment.
“Czechia has once again demonstrated its ability to compete with the world’s strongest congress destinations. The MICE segment is highly important for our country. It generates economic benefits, supports business development, creates job opportunities and at the same time strengthens the image of Czechia as a modern destination for innovation, business and international cooperation. I also see it as very positive that professional events are increasingly taking place outside Prague. This helps develop other parts of Czechia and contributes to a more balanced distribution of visitors,” says František Reismüller, Director of the Czech Tourist Authority – CzechTourism and adds: “Today, organisers are looking for much more than just a high-quality congress centre or hotel. They are increasingly interested in the destination’s professional background, links with universities, research and modern technologies. This is where Prague and Czechia as a whole have a huge advantage. We are also pleased to see growing interest in events focused on medicine, science and innovation — segments with high added value for destinations and local economies.”
According to data from the Czech Statistical Office, Czechia hosted a total of 11,600 conferences and other events with more than 50 participants in 2025. These events welcomed 1.2 million attendees. According to the Czech Statistical Office, Prague hosted 4,300 events and approximately 480,000 participants. The South Moravian Region also maintained a strong position with 2,100 conferences. Significant activity was recorded in the Olomouc Region and the Vysočina Region, where around 800 to 900 meetings took place. On average, each conference hosted 100 participants.
“Four-star hotels continue to play a dominant role, hosting the majority of conferences and participants. At the same time, we are seeing growing popularity of smaller MICE events, especially corporate meetings and business gatherings. Another advantage of the congress segment is that many events take place outside the main tourist season, particularly during spring and autumn months. This helps balance seasonal fluctuations in tourism,” adds Petr Janeček, Head of the Institute of Tourism at the Czech Tourist Authority – CzechTourism.
Czechia Showcases Itself at the World’s Largest MICE Trade Fair – IMEX Frankfurt
The latest ICCA statistics were traditionally presented during IMEX Frankfurt, one of the world’s most important trade fairs focused on congress and incentive tourism. This year, 23 Czech exhibitors are participating alongside CzechTourism, including hotels, congress centres, regional destinations and event agencies.
“During the trade fair alone, the Czech Convention Bureau team has confirmed 63 meetings with international buyers and is also preparing 12 destination presentations for groups of partners. These meetings and presentations provide us with an opportunity to showcase Czechia and its regions as unique destinations for MICE events. IMEX Frankfurt is also a great opportunity to demonstrate that world-class congress infrastructure is available not only in Prague, but across many other parts of Czechia as well,” explains Katarína Minárik, Manager of the Czech Convention Bureau.
Congress Tourism Connects Europe
The traditional Global Forum of National Convention Bureaux took place one day before the opening of the trade fair. The event is organised by the Strategic Alliance of National Convention Bureaux, of which Czechia is a founding member. The alliance connects 30 national organisations focused on destination marketing in the MICE sector and supports cooperation, knowledge sharing and the development of sustainable events across Europe. Since its establishment in 2014, the initiative has become an increasingly important platform for exchanging experience and expertise among member countries.
“International cooperation in congress tourism is one of the key pillars of our activities, and initiatives within the European alliance play a very important role for us. The alliance is currently involved in several projects focused on supporting sustainable events, strengthening cooperation with universities and younger generations, and highlighting the global benefits of congress tourism. Through the exchange of know-how and sharing of best practices, we can further strengthen Europe’s position as a leader in the business meetings industry,” concludes Tereza Hofmanová, Director of Product Management, Research and B2B Cooperation and Head Manager of the Czech Convention Bureau.
