The United States managed to top the ranking of country attractiveness
"The Obama effect allowed the U.S. to take the top spot for the first time in five years of compiling annual indexes," the FutureBrand statement says. In the public perception, the U.S. is now seen as "an ideal place for doing business, one of the best places for family vacations, shopping, and buying high-quality products."
However, the U.S. does not hold a confident lead in all 29 categories. Japan and the United Kingdom surpass it in the ranking of countries with the most active nightlife. Singapore, meanwhile, is recognized as the best place for shopping. The same island nation also leads in the category "country where it is easiest to do business."
Australia, which had topped the list for the past three years, also let Canada ahead, landing in third place. It is followed by New Zealand, and France rounds out the top five.
Australia's fall, caused by the "revival of the U.S. brand," gave experts from the PR company reason to emphasize "the importance for a country of keeping its brand fresh, relevant, and attractive." Still, the land of kangaroos and crocodiles remains the main magnet for foreign tourists: most of them would like to visit it for the first time.
The UAE, China, and Vietnam were named rising stars of the tourism market. Croatia, South Africa, and India, in turn, were noted for significant growth within the ranking.
Russia did not make the top ten of the list, which includes 102 countries. Among Eastern and Central European countries, the Czech Republic leads in the overall ranking, followed by Bulgaria and Croatia.
The Country Brand Index was developed in 2004 to track trends in tourism and assess the business attractiveness of different countries. The study is based on questionnaires received from over 3,000 entrepreneurs and travelers from nine countries: Australia, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, China, the UAE, Russia, the United States, and Japan.
Lev MAKEDONOV.
Газета.Ru er="0">