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Montréal & Toronto top UIA Rankings

Montréal Top Ranking Destination in Americas for Second Year

According to the prestigious ranking of the Union of International Associations (UIA) for 2018, Montréal is the number one international convention destination in the Americas for the second year in a row. Montréal's drawing power brought 108 events to the city, ahead of the likes of New York, Buenos Aires, and Washington, DC. Toronto, Canada’s largest city captured second place in 2018.

2018 America UIA rankings


The report also shows that Montréal hosted 50% of all international events held in large Canadian cities—a phenomenal tally that shows how much the convention market is driving economic growth and tourism in the city.

"The outstanding teamwork and collaboration of our partners in the Montréal ecosystem continue to generate exceptional results, such as this first place ranking in the UIA's Americas list," said Yves Lalumière, president and CEO of Tourisme Montréal.

Palais de Congres de Montreal

Montréal’s industry leadership in AI, IT, aerospace, life sciences and Cleantech all help attract key international events to the city. “Montréal is a highly attractive city where it's easy to do business. The city is known for its supportive partners, great service by expert local suppliers, opportunities for connecting with opinion leaders in a variety of sectors, and an expanded range of air connections that make it easier than ever to get to," notes Lalumière.

"Thanks to cooperation between the business tourism sector, Québec universities, and the city's main economic clusters, as well as the involvement of leading figures such as our Ambassadors, Montréal hosts many major events that generate significant economic and intellectual benefits for the city and Québec as a whole," said Robert Mercure, president and CEO of the Palais des congrès de Montréal. "The Palais is becoming a vector of Montréal creativity, and we intend to generate ever greater benefits for Montréal and Québec by promoting local people and know-how."

The 2018 report takes over 450,000 meetings into account, organized in more than 12,500 cities, by nearly 30,000 international organizations. Founded in 1907 by Nobel laureate Henri La Fontaine and Paul Otlet, the UIA holds a database of more than 70,000 organizations in 300 countries and territories.

Toronto cityscape

Toronto, which ranked 2nd in the UIA listing, hosted more international meeting delegates in 2018 than any other city in North America according to the 2018 International Congress and Conventions Association (ICCA) City Rankings. The record-breaking 2018 saw 84,600 international attendees, more than any other city in North American history.

"Meetings, conventions and events are economic drivers for Toronto with an economic impact of more than $565 million," said Tara Gordon, Vice President, Business Events at Tourism Toronto. "Attracting international meetings is an economic growth strategy for Toronto and it's also an opportunity to showcase key sectors like tech, finance and health care. We're seeing Toronto's outstanding reputation being elevated in these sectors with the number of international attendees that now surpasses every other city in North America."   

In addition to the North American record, Toronto remains the only Canadian city to grow the number of international meetings year-over-year.