This marks the fifth consecutive year that Rwanda's capital has held the second spot, cementing its status as a leading hub for international meetings. Cape Town, South Africa, continues to lead the continent, while Marrakech, Morocco, ranks third in the latest report.
Rwanda also placed third among African countries in the ICCA's annual rankings, which measure the number of international association meetings held worldwideâ€"an important benchmark within the global meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) industry.
In 2024, Kigali hosted more than 17,000 international delegates attending high-profile events, including the FIA Annual General Assembly, ICANN 80 Policy Forum, the International Network for Government Science Advice Conference (INGSA), and the Africa Food Systems Forum.
Rwanda welcomed over 52,000 delegates in total, generating an estimated $84.8 million in MICE revenue.
The Rwanda Convention Bureau (RCB), the agency mandated to market and promote Rwanda as a premier MICE destination, attributed Kigali's success to several key factors, including the country's visa-on-arrival policy for all nationalities, RwandAir's expanding regional and international network, and the city's growing portfolio of state-of-the-art venues such as the Kigali Convention Centre, BK Arena, Amahoro Stadium, and Intare Conference Arena.
Kigali's hospitality sector also continues to flourish, with world-renowned hotel brands like Radisson Blu, Marriott, Four Points by Sheraton, One&Only, and Singita already present. New entrants such as Mövenpick and Odalys are expected to enhance the city's capacity and appeal further.
'We are pleased to see Rwanda and Kigali continue to be recognised among Africa's leading destinations for association meetings. These results reflect the efforts of various players across the events industry and the confidence international associations place in Rwanda. These rankings inspire us to further enhance our support and offerings for global events," said Janet Karemera, CEO of the RCB.
Globally, the ICCA rankings saw the United States maintain its lead with 709 qualifying meetings, followed by Italy with 635, and Spain with 536. Europe continues to dominate the top 10, with Germany, the UK, France, the Netherlands, and Portugal all featured, alongside Japan and Canada.
Headquartered in Amsterdam, ICCA is a globally recognised authority in the international association meetings industry, offering data, training, and networking platforms to support destinations and professionals worldwide.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
