Official statistics from the Czech Statistical Office, as well as the results of our own targeted survey among partners, point to the same trend: Brno stands out as the heart of the region’s congress activity, with strong seasonal fluctuations — spring and autumn remaining the key periods for hosting events. Both sources also agree that four-star hotels play a leading role, and that congress tourism in the region maintains a strong long-term position, even though the average event size may vary.
What differs? Mainly the data collection methodology. While the Czech Statistical Office only tracks events with more than 50 participants that are tied to accommodation, our survey also includes smaller and one-day events without overnight stays. As a result, the number of events recorded in our survey does not decline — in fact, it is increasing for nearly all major players, reflecting their resilience to market fluctuations and ability to adapt to the evolving needs of clients.
The data from the CSO and from the sample survey among partners can be found in the reports at this link. According to the CSO data, there were 2,212 conferences in the South Moravian Region in 2024, a year-on-year decline of 3.2%, with the largest drops in Q1 (-15.5%) and Q2 (-12.9%). The recovery occurred in Q4 with a 15.6% growth. The total number of subscribers was 192,000, down 6.5% from 2023, with the largest losses in Q2 and Q3. Brno continues to hold its dominant position, hosting 74% of all events in the region and attracting 79% of attendees.
Conversely, our sample shows stable to increasing activity – particularly in Brno, where actors are significantly more active. A similar contrast is evident in the data for the first quarter of 2025: the CSO shows strong growth, while our data shows stability with an increase in average participation, which may indicate a greater emphasis on the quality and impact of events.
According to the CSO, the South Moravian Region retained second place in the country in 2024 with 18.7% share in the number of conferences and 16.7% share in participation, behind the capital city Prague. Most other regions recorded year-on-year declines in the tens of percentages. The average attendance per event in the South Moravian Region was 87 people, which is below the national average (96 participants). This difference was also present in previous years and confirms that the South Moravian Region is strong mainly in the number of events, not in their average size – reflecting the diversity of the offer and the higher share of smaller professional meetings outside of large congresses.
Overall, it can be said that congress tourism in the South Moravian Region remains stable and resilient despite external fluctuations. Official statistics and our own research agree that Brno is the key driver, confirming the long-term importance of four-star hotels and the seasonality of events. They also show that the market is gradually changing – the emphasis is shifting from quantity to greater quality and efficiency of events. The region thus continues to offer a strong base for diverse meeting formats, which is an important prerequisite for further development in the dynamic MICE tourism environment.