The city of Madrid was named the World’s Leading Meetings & Conference Destination at the grand final of the 2023 World Travel Awards, the tourism industry’s most prestigious international accolades, which were given out yesterday in Dubai. The win—the fifth in a row for the Spanish capital—represents a milestone for Madrid, cementing its position as a global benchmark for professional events.

Madrid was competing against 15 winning and nominated cities from the various regional categories of the awards, including destinations like Abu Dhabi, Las Vegas, Paris, Seoul and Singapore. Once again, the capital gained the trust of industry professionals, whose votes are tallied to select the winners of the different categories. The award provides fresh recognition for Madrid, which was named Europe’s leading meetings and conference destination for the sixth year running at the regional European edition of the World Travel Awards in September.

Madrid’s victory at the global edition shows that it continues to enjoy a leading position in the MICE segment. The Spanish capital’s favourable image and reputation are the product of a strong push by the city council in recent years to bolster Madrid’s image as a venue for conferences, fairs and meetings, with a strong commitment to public-private partnership. These endeavours are coordinated by Madrid Convention Bureau (MCB), which also promotes the Spanish capital’s MICE offerings and provides advice and assistance to organisers throughout the event process. The bureau has been a pioneer in implementing sustainability and legacy measures in Madrid’s MICE tourism industry, helping it to achieve its current standard of excellence.

Attractive offerings and professionalism

Madrid’s position as the world’s top MICE destination also hinges on two key factors which distinguish the city and facilitate the success of any event it hosts. The first is its unbeatable range of specialised offerings, which include major assets like its special venues, thriving hotel scene and superb transport links, along with its rich historical heritage, delicious food and endless range of cultural and leisure activities to complement any stay. The other factor is the exceptional professionalism of Madrid’s tourism industry, which guarantees top-quality services, talent and innovation, resulting in high levels of satisfaction among event organisers./