International event tourism and urban changes: Trajectories of global convention cities (1995–2020)

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the trajectories of global convention cities, in order to identify and explain the strong interactions between urban policies and changes and the dynamics of hosting international conferences around the world. To accomplish this aim, the major convention cities are calibrated so that their relative positions over 24 years alongside their policies for urban change can be analyzed. To do this, we undertake a factorial correspondence analysis (FCA) combined with ascending hierarchical classification to establish a hierarchical ranking and a typology. The hosting dynamics observed reveal the strong links between material and nonmaterial urban changes and a city’s attractiveness as a convention destination. At present, the situation still reflects the effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic. It has already had technical, technological, and health-related consequences for convention processes. These new factors need to be considered in further studies on convention tourism and urban changes

Keywords:

• Convention tourism
• event tourism
• factorial correspondence analysis
• metropolitan tourism
• urban planning

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 The general analysis (world, continents, etc.) will be based on statistics including the year 2020. Part of the analysis will be based on 1995–2019 statistics. Indeed, because of the pandemic, the reliability of the information collected at city scale on the actual occurrence of conventions scheduled in 2020 is doubtful: some of these events took place face-to-face, others online, others were cancelled, and others postponed to 2021 and 2022. In view of the potential unreliability of data concerning the cities, we decided to conduct the FCA on confirmed 1995–2019 figures.

2 M.I.C.E. Meeting Incentive Convention Event

3 For example, the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) world convention brought together over 10,000 participants in 2016 https://www.iucncongress2020.org/fr

4 logistics, translation services…

5 hotel capacity, mainly 4 and 5-star hotels.

6 possibility of subsidies or assistance from public authorities etc.

7 visits, culture, shopping etc.

8 according to various criteria: landscape, climate, presence of laboratories, branches of the organizer’s activity, general leisure amenities etc.

9 convention, congress, conference, colloquium etc.

10 Governmental (IGOs such as the United Nations Organization (UNO), etc.) and non-Governmental (INGOs such as the International Red Cross, Greenpeace, etc.).

11 Excluded from these statistics: all purely national meetings as well as events, even international events, of a solely political, religious, didactic, commercial, or sports-related nature, also meetings with low participation or of specific kinds (regular committee meetings, expert groups etc.). Source: UIA.

12 Albeit with difficulties for the year 2020 because of the pandemic.

13 As specified, the general analysis (world, continents etc.) will be based on statistics including the year 2020. Part of the analysis will be based on 1995–2019 statistics. Indeed, due to the pandemic, the reliability of the information collected at city scale on the actual occurrence of conventions scheduled in 2020 is doubtful: some of these events were held face-to-face, others online, others cancelled, and others postponed to 2021 and 2022. In view of the potential unreliability of data about cities, we decided to conduct the FCA on confirmed 1995–2019 figures.

14 https://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/

15 https://www.atkearney.com/global-cities/2020 ICCA conferences.

16 since the 1950s in the case of the Western cities, after the fall of the Berlin Wall for the Central and Eastern European capitals.