Bologna ranks 34th worldwide and 2nd in Italy for MICE in the new 2025 UIA ranking

Historic results for Bologna in the 67th UIA International Meetings Statistics, which ranks destinations worldwide each year by the number of international meetings they host.

An unprecedented position for Bologna

In the new ranking, covering 2025, Bologna reaches 34th place worldwide for the first time, up from 48th place the previous year. The result confirms the destination’s growing international appeal.

The result is even more significant at national level: Bologna rises to 2nd place in Italy for the first time, up from 4th place in 2024. Ranking behind Rome alone, Bologna achieves its highest position ever recorded.

Italy in the global top 10

Italy remains among the most competitive countries on the international stage, ranking 8th worldwide. This compares with 3rd place in 2024 and positions between 10th and 13th over the previous ten years.

Italy’s continued presence at the top of the ranking is supported by strong and well-connected destinations, a high-level scientific community, advanced professional expertise and a solid international reputation.

How the ranking works

Unlike other rankings in the sector, the UIA report – compiled by the Union of International Associations – covers a broader range of meetings, including congresses and conferences, assemblies and symposia, events organised by intergovernmental organisations, and meetings with fewer than 50 participants. This provides a particularly comprehensive picture of the international association meetings sector.

Bologna’s new position is the result of increasingly effective coordination between institutions, industry operators and the Convention Bureau, together with the city’s growing intellectual capital and an ecosystem increasingly focused on research and innovation – all elements that are strengthening Bologna’s position as an international MICE destination.