Global DMC Partners releases 2019 destination index

i By October 23, 2019 No Comments

Paris, Costa Rica, San Diego and Greece are at the top of Global DMC Partners‘ just-released 2019 destination rankings and 2020 hot lists.

Global DMC Partners, which is the world’s largest network of independently-owned destination management companies (DMCs), bases its lists on data collected from nearly 7,000 meeting and incentive programs held in the more than 500 destinations its partners represent. Its annual Global Destination Index reveals the most popular meeting and incentive destinations for the current year as well as the destinations trending in the year ahead.

Catherine Chaulet, president and CEO of Global DMC Partners, says points out that companies that focus on socially responsible initiatives through their events and incentives directly contribute to supporting local growth, reducing poverty, protecting the environment and promoting peace in their host destination. “During a time when travel is more accessible to the masses than ever before, we have a responsibility to inform and educate in order to alleviate overtourism and under-tourism. The meetings and events industry must bring awareness to emerging or secondary destinations while showcasing ‘hidden gems’ within popular markets to avoid already overly toured areas,” she says.

To compile the Index, Global DMC Partners evaluated leads received from their global client base of meeting and event planners organizing meetings, conferences, incentives and business events around the world in 2019 and 2020. The data was separated into two categories, meetings and incentives, to highlight how cities attract different types of groups.

“Because our client database is global, we are able to see some surprising destinations that show up on either list or on both and provide valuable insights,” explains Chaulet. “For example, Budapest is a popular location for European meetings but also a top pick for incentive trips from the Americas.”

Top 2019 global destinations for meetings & conferences

  1. Paris
  2. Copenhagen
  3. Chicago
  4. San Francisco
  5. Budapest
  6. Orlando
  7. Barcelona
  8. Washington, D.C.
  9. Prague
  10. Las Vegas

Top 2019 global destinations for incentives

  1. Costa Rica
  2. France
  3. Bahamas
  4. Italy
  5. Miami, Florida
  6. Budapest
  7. Lisbon
  8. Prague
  9. Cancun
  10. Aruba

2020 meeting & conference destination hot list

  1. San Diego
  2. Nashville
  3. Singapore
  4. Las Vegas
  5. New Orleans
  6. Tokyo
  7. Washington, D.C.
  8. Austin
  9. Bahamas
  10. Phoenix

2020 incentive destination hot list

  1. Greece
  2. Bahamas
  3. Costa Rica
  4. Budapest
  5. Aruba
  6. Iceland
  7. New York
  8. Italy
  9. Switzerland
  10. Puerto Rico
(Top of post) Santorini, Greece. Photo by Ihor_Tailwind.