DutchAmsterdam.nl — Positioned at number eight Amsterdam ranks among the top ten city destinations for international congresses and conferences, while Austria and the Netherlands close the country top ten with a shared tenth place.
The country and city rankings, measured by the number of meetings organized in 2009, were published by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).
The ICCA rankings cover meetings organized by international associations which take place on a regular basis and which rotate between a minimum of three countries.
According to the Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions (NBTC) the position of the Netherlands, and by extension that of Amsterdam, is threatened by strong competition from Russia, India, Brazil and China. The latter two have already bypassed the Netherlands in the country rankings.
NBTC marketing manager Eric Bakermans says “It is very positive that the Netherlands was able to maintain its ranking in tenth place despite growing competition from the so-called BRIC countries.” In economics BRIC is an acronym that refers to the related economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China.
“In the European conference market our position is being strengthened,” Bakermans says. “Compared to other European countries the Netherlands is in sixth place.”

NBTC’s convention marketing efforts include a focus on bringing sports events and sports-related congresses to the Netherlands.
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