The most popular international event destinations

EVENT Unconventional destinations and old acquaintances are in high demand: This is the conclusion of the "Pro Sky" Destination Report 2016, for which meetings and events professionals from Switzerland provided insights into their preferences.Where is the (event) journey heading in 2016? What is trending and what criteria do event professionals use to choose a destination in the first place? Exciting questions that the flight professionals from [...]

Editorial - May 25, 2016

Where is the (event) journey heading in 2016? What is the trend and what criteria do event professionals use to select a destination? Exciting questions that the flight professionals from Pro Sky got to the bottom of. 36 Swiss event managers from the meetings industry provided answers and inspiration.2016 Spain is the favorite among countries for those responsible. Last year's leader Germany loses 10 percentage points and shares second place with Switzerland and Italy (33 percent each). New leader among metropolises: Lisbon. The Portuguese capital won over 38 percent of Swiss industry professionals. It is followed by Barcelona with 32 percent and London with 29 percent. However, last year's winner is no longer on the podium. Berlin lost a full 27 percentage points and now has to settle for 26 percent.

Among the countries, Turkey and Ireland in particular suffered losses. Turkey's popularity among Swiss event managers fell to just 3 percent in 2016. In the previous year, it was still 29 percent. Ireland also experienced a slump, down from 22 percent to 6 percent. The picture of the metropolises is analogous. Here, Istanbul in particular is losing ground. The popularity of the Turkish destination fell from 31 to just 6 percent. The popularity of Paris also fell sharply, by 22 percentage points to 12 percent. What may be the reason for this? The destinations seem to be too uncertain for event planners, but this is a snapshot from the turn of the year when participants were surveyed.North high on the agendaSwiss conference professionals seem to be drawn to the north in 2016. With Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, many event managers have set their sights on the Baltic States as a destination. The same applies to Scandinavia, which is being rediscovered by customers with its ecological and cultural advantages. Big plus point of the two regions: They are considered rock-solid and safe travel destinations.Destinations of the futureThe respondents said they saw potential in Montenegro. With Budva, the professionals from Switzerland are drawn to one of the oldest places on the Adriatic. The small town impresses with its mild climate and numerous sandy beaches, making it an alternative to this year's favorites among countries and metropolises. In the Caribbean, Cuba is being billed as the next incentive hotspot. Thanks to some travel concessions, groups can gain many new impressions around the capital Havana. Greece is also exciting for incentive travel. According to some survey participants, there is still a lot to discover in the north of the country. For example, the urban port city of Thessaloniki, which is often just a stopover for tourists.New perspectives are also offered by destinations that are already successful. For example, the United Arab Emirates, which once again promise a trip in a class of its own in 2016. The Sultanate of Oman and Muscat were particularly popular with the Swiss in 2016.

The most popular international event destinations

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