The number of events related to congress tourism promoted by the Granada Convention Bureau has increased this year by 20% compared to 2016, which ended with an economic impact of more than seven million euros.
During the presentation of the report of activities of this public-private management body dedicated to promoting Granada as a congress destination, which already has 104 members, the mayor, Francisco Cuenca, underlined the qualitative leap that brings this type of tourism to the city because it breaks the seasonality and increases overnight stays and average spending of visitors.
Last year, some 100,000 people participated in the 94 professional meetings and events promoted by the Convention Bureau, whose associated companies multiplied by five the money disbursed in fees, explained the president of this organization, Carlos Navarro.
To date, 42 meetings or congresses have been confirmed for this year and 25 for 2018 and beyond, in addition to a dozen ongoing candidacies pending confirmation from 2019.
According to the ranking of the world’s leading association for meeting tourism, ICCA, Granada is already in sixth place as a Spanish destination that hosts international congresses, after Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, and Malaga, while it ranks 169 (out of 254) as an international destination.
José Entrena, president of the Provincial Council of Granada, founding partner of the Granada Convention Bureau together with the City Council and the Chamber of Commerce, has highlighted the contribution to this growth in congress tourism at Granada airport, which this year will add four new international flights and three national flights.
The president of the Provincial Council has also hoped that the government will meet the deadlines on the arrival of the AVE to end the isolation of the province’s railways.