In 2025, Barcelona was the world’s third city for international congresses, behind only Lisbon and Paris. That’s according to the latest ranking from ICCA, the international association that tracks this market: 166 international congresses held in the city, up from 142 the year before. Madrid, with 108, ranks 13th in the world. By country, Spain is the world’s fourth-largest destination for international congresses, behind only the United States, Italy and Germany.
The economic impact is huge. According to a study by consultancy Braintrust for the Spain Convention Bureau, meetings tourism generated €14.296 billion in Spain in 2024, up 7% on the previous year, with 10.5 million participants in congresses, conventions, incentives and corporate events. For 2025, the sector puts the figure at €14.8 billion.
These figures confirm something we see every day at Fairplay: Spain is now one of the preferred destinations for meetings, congresses, conventions and incentives. And that has consequences, both for companies organising events here and for those coming from abroad.
1. Why Spain attracts so many events
Some reasons are obvious: the climate, the food and the culture. Spain welcomed a record 96.8 million international tourists in 2025, up 3.2% on the year before, according to Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE). And it’s very well connected: Aena’s Spanish airports handled 321.6 million passengers in 2025, with records at Madrid-Barajas (68.2 million) and Barcelona-El Prat (57.5 million).
But other reasons carry as much weight, or more, when the decision is made. Spain has first-class infrastructure. Fira de Barcelona’s activity generates an economic impact of around €6 billion a year, and IFEMA Madrid’s around €5.8 billion. Add to that congress centres in many cities and a wide, varied hotel offering. Spain also has a long professional tradition in event organisation and an experienced network of suppliers. And it offers something many destinations can’t: variety. In a few hours you can go from a major city to the coast, the mountains or the countryside, which opens up plenty of options for designing complete programmes.
2. Not just Barcelona and Madrid
Although the two big cities account for much of the activity, congress tourism is spread across the country. Spain has 57 cities in the ICCA ranking. After Barcelona and Madrid comes Valencia, with 51 international congresses in 2024, while Bilbao, Seville, Málaga, Granada, San Sebastián and Palma also host significant numbers every year. Destinations such as Galicia, meanwhile, offer a very attractive alternative for events looking for authenticity, nature and great food.
For many companies, looking beyond the usual destinations is a smart strategy: there’s usually more availability, more competitive pricing and a more distinctive experience for attendees.
3. What it means for companies based here
Spain’s popularity has a less visible side: competition for venues and services. On the most sought-after dates, venues, hotels and technical suppliers are booked well in advance, and prices reflect it. Hotel prices rose by an average of 5.1% in 2025, according to INE’s hotel price index, above general inflation.
For a company that wants to hold its convention, product launch or client event in Barcelona or Madrid, the conclusion is clear: plan further ahead, be flexible on dates and rely on someone who knows the local market well and knows where the alternatives are.
4. What it means for companies from abroad
Meetings tourism is also high-value tourism. According to the Braintrust study, someone travelling to Spain for a congress or event spends an average of €378.90 a day, around three times as much as a leisure tourist. It’s a demanding audience that expects everything to work.
For international companies choosing Spain for their meetings or incentive trips, the key is having a trusted local partner. Someone who knows the venues, has relationships with suppliers, speaks their language and handles everything that comes up on the ground: transport, accommodation, activities, permits, catering, technical production. This is what’s known as destination management, or DMC services: a local team that turns a programme designed in another country into an experience that runs without surprises.
5. An event is also a communication opportunity
When a city hosts a major congress or international event, media and industry attention is focused there for a few days. For participating companies, it’s a communication opportunity worth preparing for: media coverage, meetings with trade journalists, their own content and a presence at side events.
Your partner in Spain, from Barcelona to A Coruña
At Fairplay we organise events, conventions, trade shows and trips from our offices in Barcelona, Madrid and A Coruña, for Spanish and international companies. We know the venues, work with the best suppliers and take care of everything, from logistics to communication, with a multilingual team and more than 35 years of experience.
If you’re thinking of holding an event in Spain, let’s talk.