Australia Ranked As World’s Top Country Brand

November 15th, 2008 Posted in Destinations

Australia was awarded the coveted spot as the world’s top country brand for the third consecutive year, according to the 2008 Country Brand Index (CBI).

Rising from its sixth place ranking last year, Canada is recognized second and the United States rounds out the top three country brands in the 2008 study.

Other countries making the top 10 include Italy, Switzerland and France. The CBI examines how countries are branded and ranked according to key criteria, and identifies emerging global trends in the world’s fastest growing economic sector – travel and tourism, which accounts for US$5.9 trillion of economic activity worldwide this year and more than 238 million jobs.

2008 CBI Top Country Brands

1. Australia, 2. Canada, 3. United States ,4. Italy, 5. Switzerland, 6. France, 7. New Zealand , 8. United Kingdom, 9. Japan and 10. Sweden

CBI, now in its fourth year, is a comprehensive study of approximately 2,700 international business and leisure travelers from nine countries conducted by FutureBrand, a leading global brand consultancy, in conjunction with public relations firm Weber Shandwick’s Global Travel & Lifestyle Practice. This year’s index includes rankings and trends as well as travel motivations, challenges and opportunities within the worlds of travel, tourism and country branding.

Rising Stars

The CBI also identified China, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Croatia, respectively, as the top three “rising stars” – those likely to become major tourist destinations in the next five years. Also making the list this year are Vietnam, India and Cuba. In addition, this year’s CBI includes an in-depth report of how China fares post- Beijing Olympics.

“In this our fourth year, it is exciting to see many countries embracing the idea of brand. However, we still feel this is a largely underdeveloped category with most countries continuing to promote and market themselves in ways that are not differentiated. Particularly in the coming years, country brands must improve both their strategic orientation as well as their delivery,” said Rina Plapler, senior executive director, FutureBrand.

This year’s CBI touches on a variety of topics relevant to travelers and tourism professionals including: intergenerational travel (represented by countries such as the U.S., Canada and Japan), medical tourism, mainstream luxury (represented by countries like Japan and Spain), ‘stay’cations and a rise in the off-the-beaten-track trips. Other notable trends this year focus on niche travel opportunities and the changing destination landscape.

“With the current state of the world— economic turmoil, political unrest and global warming—it’s always fascinating to see which countries come out on top in branding themselves, generating global recognition and fueling the travel and tourism industry,” said René A. Mack, president, Weber Shandwick’s Travel & Lifestyle Global Practice.

Tags: australia