Ljubljana increased the number of ICCA events from 22 to 35

In 2011, the Slovenian capital recorded a significant increase in the number of international business events. In 2010, Ljubljana hosted 22 international events according to the International Congress and Convention Association statistics, while in 2011 this number increased to 35. Achieving this, Ljubljana won the nomination for the most active ICCA member and, aside from that, also recorded record-breaking results in 2011 tourism.

The data nevertheless requires additional explanation, since the strictly defined criteria used in these statistics (regular, annual or biennial events that must rotate in at least three countries and attract a minimum of 50 participants) excludes several types of international gatherings – in any case, the statistics are an important and very credible indicator of Ljubljana’s position in relation to competitive congress towns.

The editorial board of the Slovenian congress industry magazine “Kongres”, also checked how well other towns in the region did in the ICCA 10-year report. They took into account the average number of events in the period from 2001 to 2010 and their ranking in 2010. While most countries and cities in Europe have recorded a slight decrease in the number of congresses, this decrease has been lesser in the cities of Southeast Europe, some cities have even recorded a growth – and in this ranking, Ljubljana snatched first place from Bucharest and Graz.

Presently, Ljubljana has confirmed 12 ICCA-ranked international business events for 2012 as well as some for 2013 and 2014. In relation to the congress activities in Ljubljana, it’s worth mentioning that two new hotels in Ljubljana are opening their doors in 2012. Ljubljana’s hotel and congress offer will be vitally supplemented by the 4-star Plaza Hotel Ljubljana in the area of BTC City, a shopping centre located in the outskirts of Ljubljana. The hotel will pride itself on 208 rooms (27m2) and 28 suites (40, 60 and 150m2) and its offer will be complemented by six fully-functional seminar rooms, which, in combination, will offer space for as many as 100 guests. Ljubljana’s second acquisition will be the 3-star G Design Hotel with its 22 rooms and conference hall, situated in Tržaška cesta and expected to open in spring.

Alongside congress-related numbers, Ljubljana recorded 786,100 overnight stays by tourists in 2011 according to the provisional data of Turizem Ljubljana, which is 6.3% or a good 46,500 more than in 2010. In December alone, Ljubljana recorded a 7.6% increase of overnight stays compared to 2010. With these numbers, Ljubljana has surpassed the reigning record-breaking year of 2008.

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