Montreal takes first spot among N. American convention stops

Montreal has become the leading destination among North American cities for international conventions, according to the International Congress and Convention Association.

In ratings just released for 2009, Montreal led all North American cities with 57 international events, followed by Vancouver (46), Toronto (36), Boston (35), Mexico City (33), Washington (31) and New York (28).

In '08, Vancouver led N. American destinations with 54, followed by Montreal (45) , Quebec City (37), Toronto (35), Boston (34), Washington D.C. (28), Mexico City (27), Cancun (26), Chicago (26), NYC (16), San Jose (16), San Diego (16), Miami (14), Panama City (14) and Hololulu (12).

Just a cursory glance at these rankings show that several Canadian destinations, including Ottawa, Halifax, Edmonton, Calgary, Banff and Whistler (which may well be included in the Vancouver numbers), have huge potential to progress.