Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Australia Ranks #1 Again for World's Top Country Brand

LONDON, Nov. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- With the kick-off of London's World Travel Market this week -- the premier global travel and tourism convention -- the big questions on the minds of tourism and hospitality professionals are: "What countries have the best reputations and which ones rank in the top 10 list of desired country brands when it comes to travel?" The answers might surprise you.

According to this year's Country Brand Index (CBI), Australia once again earned the coveted spot as the world's top country brand, with the United States ranking second and the United Kingdom ascending to third. Other countries making the top 10 included Japan, Canada, France and Greece. The CBI also identified Croatia, China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the top three "rising stars" -- those likely to become a major tourist destination in the next five years. Also making the list this year are Cuba, Iceland, and the Russian Federation.

Outback Australia Travel