•South Africa claimed the first position by hosting 98 rotational Association conferences, Rwanda was second with 32 conferences while Kenya became third with 21.
•On city ranking in Africa, Nairobi was third behind Cape Town and Kigali, respectively.
Image: PCS
Kenya has been ranked third in Africa on conference tourism.
This is according to the just released 2023 report by the International Congress and Conventions Association (ICCA).
The report ranks countries and cities according to the number of rotational ICCA meetings a destination hosts in a year.
This year’s ranking lifts Kenya from ninth position in 2022.
South Africa claimed the first position by hosting 98 conferences; Rwanda was second with 32 conferences while Kenya hosted 21 conferences.
ICCA is a global community and knowledge hub for the international association and governmental meetings industry.
It specialises in the international association’s meetings sector and has 1,100 member organisations in 100 countries.
The ICCA report drew its analysis from over 10,000 meetings, highlighting Kenya's remarkable progress.
In this year’s report, Kenya climbed to the 58th position globally, a substantial improvement from its 80th place as per the ICCA 2022 report.
On city ranking in Africa, Nairobi was third behind Cape Town and Kigali, respectively.
Globally, Nairobi surged to the 111th position in 2023 from its previous standing at 292nd, based on the global tally of meetings held.
The advancement underscores the thriving opportunity of the Meetings, Incentives Travel Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) also known as Business Events industry in Kenya, reinforcing its reputation as a premier destination for international events.
According to the Kenyatta International Convention Centre CEO, James Mwaura, the sector plans to increase international MICE visitors from 110,000 in 2015 to one million by 2030.
This is projected to raise MICE earnings to about $370 million (Sh48.7 billion), from $157 million (Sh20.7 billion), by 2030.
Last year, arrivals on business and MICE accounted for 24 per cent or 461, 042 of the total 1.9 million international arrivals-Tourism Research Institute data.
This was after 875, 272 (holiday/leisure) and 465, 851 visitors who were in the country to visit friends and relatives.
"The MICE sector is a key contributor to Kenya’s economic growth as laid out in the Bottom -Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA)," Mwaura said.
KICC is currently gearing up to host major conventions such as the 59th Group Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Africa Development Bank, the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP) World Conference, Engineering Conference among others.
International meeting planners rely on the ICCA network for solutions tailored to their event objectives, including venue selection, technical and strategic advice, delegate transportation assistance, full convention planning, and ad services.
Mwaura expressed optimism that Kenya's achievement stands as a testament to its steadfast commitment and concerted efforts to enhance infrastructure, promote tourism, and cultivating a conducive business environment.
Kenya is increasingly preferred for hosting conferences, exhibitions, and corporate gatherings of global significance.
KICC remains the leading preferred venue for major events amid Kenya's growing influence and capability to host world-class events.