Prague represents one the world's best destinations for the "scientific" and "business" tourism and we, citizens of Prague, are very proud about it. Scientific and business tourism go hand in hand with the commercialization of science and research and foster the development of vibrant and dynamic cities around the world.

United Nations World Tourism Organization shows that 14% of international tourists travel for business and professional (e.g. scientific) purposes, following travel for holiday, recreational, and leisure purposes (UNWTO, 2015). The total global economic contribution of business travel was 1.25 trillion U.S. dollars in 2015. According to the Global Business Travel Association, in the period of 2016 to 2019, it is estimated that the average rate of growth in business travel will be 6% (GBTA, 2015).

International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) reported that for the period 1963-2012 out of a total of 173,432 meetings held between 1963 and 2012, 1,795 (1%) took place between 1963 and 1967 and 54,844 (31.6%) in the period of 2008 to 2012 (https://50years.iccaworld.com/).

ICCA report also ranked United States of America as the most popular international destination in the last 50 years, followed by Germany, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Among the major cities, Paris was the most popular destination for business and scientific tourism, hosting a total of 897 events in this period, followed by Vienna, Barcelona, Berlin, and Singapore. Prague ranked number 13 above such cities as Brussels, Rome and Hong Kong.