According to a new congress survey commissioned by Finland Convention Bureau (FCB), international association meetings held in Finland last year attracted a total of 60,790 delegates who stayed in the country for an average of 4.7 nights. Each congress delegate spent an average of 246 euros per day.

The total travel income generated by congresses was 99.5 million euros, which includes spending by both congress organisers and delegates. The income effect of a single congress delegate for Finland was thus 1,640 euros. The direct impact of international association meetings on employment in Finland was 1,272 and the overall effect 1,824 working years.

Finland’s advantages: efficient arrangements and safety

The most popular themes of last year’s congresses included the natural sciences and mathematics, technology and IT, and the social sciences, history and sociology. The congress arrangements were considered either good or very good by 87 percent of delegates.

Over 90 percent of people who responded to the survey considered the safety and security of the host city to be either good or very good. Over two-thirds, 69 percent, of the delegates were visiting Finland for the first time. The majority, 78 percent, arrived from elsewhere in Europe. Congress delegates gave special thanks to Finland’s safety and security, which over 92 percent considered to be good or very good, and the friendliness of Finns. Just under half, 48 percent, considered Finland to be expensive and 17 percent very expensive.

Finland Convention Bureau (FCB), which promotes Finland as a destination for meetings and corporate events, has commissioned a congress survey every three years since 1986 to assess the economic impact of congress tourism and to compile information about the experiences of delegates. The latest survey was carried out between June and October 2007 among 2,590 congress delegates attending 16 international association meetings. The survey was carried out by Finnish research company Taloustutkimus Oy.