Business Tourism 2024: International Promotion and Significant Economic Spinoffs for Montréal and Québec
MONTRÉAL, Jan. 16, 2025 /CNW/ - Tourisme Montréal and the Palais des congrès de Montréal are proud of what was achieved in 2024, with sustained growth in their activities and significant economic and intellectual impacts for Montréal and Québec. With 539 business events held in the city, 960,000 delegates and visitors contributed $395 million in economic spinoffs, consolidating Montréal's image as a centre of excellence for business gatherings.
Among these events, 306 were held at the Palais des congrès, with a total of 874,000 delegates and visitors. These results confirm the Palais' key role in the international promotion of the city as a first-rate destination for conferences and events. No fewer than 17 international conferences, supported by Tourisme Montréal, were held at the Palais in 2024. Among the most impactful conferences were the 3rd Joint Congress on Evolutionary Biology (2,140 delegates), IEEE Quantum Week 2024 (1,540 delegates), the InCyber Forum (3,000 delegates), and the One Young World Summit (1,900 delegates).
Montréal maintains top international ranking
The 539 events held in Montréal last year strengthened its positioning as a top-ranking destination by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) for international association meetings in North America and the Union of International Associations (UIA) for international meetings in the Americas. These distinctions highlight Montréal's ongoing allure, and its recognition for several years as the safest city in the Americas for international events. Lastly, according to a recent survey commissioned by Tourisme Montréal and conducted by the firm Evidénz among 492 event organizers around the world, 94% recommended Montréal for major conferences.
Partnership, the key to success
The year 2024 also saw the birth of a new strategic partnership initiative between the Palais des congrès de Montréal and Tourisme Montréal. A veritable lever for maintaining Montréal as a top-ranking destination for hosting international events in the Americas, the two institutions launched The Knowledge Collective, a single point of contact to help attract and organize international conferences by offering personalized support to researchers, professors and specialists from Montréal's key economic sectors. The synergy between Tourisme Montréal, the Palais des congrès and these world-class specialists, through the combination of their expertise and networks, opens the door to greater promotion of the city on the international scene. In 2024, seven major events helped bring in and support by the Palais' Ambassadors were held in Montréal, attracting 6,600 convention-goers and generating more than $27 million in economic spinoffs for the local economy.
Prospects for 2025
The year 2025 is getting off to a terrific start: Tourisme Montréal has already confirmed 183 business events in the city, representing 232,580 overnight stays in local hotels. Furthermore, 13 major international events are already confirmed at the Palais des congrès. Among them, the 24th International Conference on Emergency Medicine, from May 25 to 28; the 18th International Conference on Space Operations organized by SpaceOps, the international committee for the promotion and maintenance of a community of experts in space operations, from May 26 to 30; and the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) International Conference on Communications, from June 8 to 12. These three international events alone will attract some 22,000 delegates, generating $70 million in economic spinoffs as well a significant social and intellectual impact for Montréal and Québec.
Quotes
"The results in 2024 testify to the strategic importance of the Palais des congrès de Montréal in promoting our city around the world. Hosting international events stimulates our economy and showcases Montréal's unique know-how, while generating important intellectual and social spinoffs for the community. With our solid partnership with Tourisme Montréal and our teams' commitment, we're proud to contribute to the success and allure of Montréal as a global hub of innovation, culture and knowledge." –Emmanuelle Legault, President and CEO of the Palais des congrès de Montréal
"Tourisme Montréal is proud to highlight the significant impact of business events on the visibility and economy of our metropolis in 2024 and applauds the exceptional collaboration of the Palais des congrès de Montréal. We are particularly pleased with the 17 international conferences supported by Tourisme Montréal, which generated substantial economic benefits and showcased our ability to host world-class business events. The year 2025 promises to be equally successful!" – Yves Lalumière, President and CEO of Tourisme Montréal
About the Palais des congrès de Montréal
A creative solutions centre and a showcase for the city's spirit and expertise, the Palais des congrès de Montréal has been promoting and hosting large-scale events since 1983. Generating significant economic, social and intellectual benefits, it encourages innovation and acts as a force for progress for both Montréal and Québec. The Palais is firmly committed to sustainability and takes numerous innovative, concrete steps to make it a central component of its business development. With one of the highest customer satisfaction rates in the world, the Palais actively contributes to the international reputation of Montréal, the top host city for international events in America for eight years in a row. congresmtl.com
About Tourisme Montréal
Tourisme Montréal is a 100-year-old private, non-profit organization that works to position Montréal as an international-calibre leisure and business travel destination. To this end, the organization is piloting innovative hospitality strategies with a two-fold objective: ensuring that visitors enjoy a memorable experience and maximizing tourism economic spin-offs in a sustainable way with long-term impacts for the city. Uniting nearly 1,000 businesses and organizations working directly or indirectly in tourism, Tourisme Montréal plays a leading role in the management and development of Montréal's tourism business, and makes recommendations on issues surrounding the city's economic, urban and cultural development. For more information, go to mtl.org.
SOURCE Palais des congrès de Montréal