Subsidies to organise congress tourism
Last update
Subsidies for congress tourism aim to encourage the organisation of congresses or similar events (seminars, conferences, etc.) in order to:
- contribute to the promotion of Luxembourg as a prime destination for conferences;
- increase local economic benefits.
They are granted by the General Directorate for Tourism in the Ministry of the Economy.
Who is concerned
Eligible businesses
The following can benefit from the subsidy scheme:
- private associations;
- public establishments;
- international organisations or institutions.
Eligible events
The following events are eligible for financial aid:
- congresses;
- conferences;
- symposia; or
- or any other similar event in a business context.
Prerequisites
Event size
In order to benefit from financial aid, the events have to fulfil all the following conditions:
- there must be at least 75 participants;
- there must be at least 75 overnight stays booked in the host hotels.
Place and accommodation
The event must take place in Luxembourg and participants from abroad must be accommodated in Luxembourg.
Only overnight stays in Luxembourg are taken into account for the calculation of financial aid.
Public image
Events whose content or theme is likely to have a negative impact on Luxembourg's image are ineligible.
Deadlines
Each application for financial aid for congress tourism must be submitted at the latest 6 weeks prior to the event.
Where the application is approved by the Ministry of the Economy, the organisers are invited to submit the following 3 months after the event at the latest:
- an activity report;
- a financial report;
- a statement of registered overnight stays in hotels within the framework of the event;
- and the paid invoices for the tourism framework programme.
The final amount of financial aid is calculated and paid depending on the documents submitted.
How to proceed
Submitting the application
Applicants have to submit a duly completed application for financial aid for the organisation of a congress to the General Directorate for Tourism at the Ministry of the Economy (see 'Online services and forms').
In the event of a submission by post, the following must be indicated on the envelope:
Ministère de l’Économie
Demande d’aides d’État
L-2937 Luxembourg
Applications must be accompanied by:
- a presentation of the project with the following information:
- the organiser of the event;
- the event profile: concept, target audience, objectives, provisional programme, speakers, number of participants;
- descriptions and estimates:
- economic benefits for the destination;
- impact on the sector in question (know-how, networking, etc.);
- media coverage and/or impact on the image of Luxembourg;
- the project's financing plan, i.e.:
- a detailed provisional budget setting out income and outgoings;
- planned and/or granted co-financing measures.
Applications can only be approved within the limits of the budget.
Amount of aid
Flat-rate aid per overnight stay for paid commercial accommodation in Luxembourg
A flat-rate aid of EUR 25 per registered overnight stay for paid commercial accommodation in Luxembourg will be granted to events taking place:
- between 1 March and 14 July;
- between 16 September and 31 December.
The amount of aid is limited to EUR 20,000.
In order to encourage congress tourism during off-peak periods in the year and to contribute to a better occupancy rate for conference venues and hotels, a flat-rate aid of EUR 35 per registered overnight stay in a Luxembourg hotel will be granted to events taking place:
- between 15 July and 15 September;
- between 1 January and 28 February.
The amount of aid is limited to EUR 25,000.
In order to encourage congresses in rural areas, a flat-rate aid of EUR 35 per registered overnight stay will be applied throughout the year irrespective of the season.
The amount of aid is limited to EUR 25,000.
Congresses that exceed 1,500 overnight stays in Luxembourg hotels may benefit from an additional flat-rate aid of EUR 10,000.
Aid through tourism framework programmes
Within the framework of tourism programmes, the following costs will be reimbursed up to a limit of 50 %:
- costs for hiring certified tour guides;
- transport expenses (e.g. bus hire).
The reimbursement of the costs is capped at EUR 2,500. This amount is included in the flat-rate aid available and cannot be added to the aforementioned limits of EUR 20,000 or EUR 25,000.
Maximum amount of aid
The total amount of aid can never exceed 25 % of the total costs incurred by the congress organiser.
| Luxembourg City | Luxembourg City | Rural area | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Event date | 01.03 - 14.07 and 16.09 - 31.12 | 01.01 - 29.02 and 15.07 - 15.09 | all year |
| Flat-rate aid per registered overnight stay for paid commercial accommodation in Luxembourg | EUR 25 per overnight stay and maximum EUR 20,000 | EUR 35 per overnight stay and maximum EUR 25,000 | EUR 35 per overnight stay and maximum EUR 25,000 |
| Aid through tourism framework programmes | 50 % of true expenses for tour guides and transportation (maximum EUR 2,500) | 50 % of true expenses for tour guides and transportation (maximum EUR 2,500) | 50 % of true expenses for tour guides and transportation (maximum EUR 2,500) |
| Total amount of aid (A+B) is limited to | EUR 20,000 | EUR 25,000 | EUR 25,000 |
| Additional aid beyond 1,500 overnight stays | EUR 10,000 | EUR 10,000 | EUR 10,000 |
| Maximum amount of aid | 25 % of costs incurred | 25 % of costs incurred | 25 % of costs incurred |
Online services and forms
Who to contact
-
Ministry of the Economy General Directorate for Tourism - Subsidies
- Address:
-
19-21, boulevard Royal
L-2449
Luxembourg
Luxembourg
B.P. 86 - L-2937 Luxembourg
- Phone:
- (+352) 247 84756
- Email address:
- mice@eco.etat.lu
- Website:
- https://meco.gouvernement.lu/fr.html
