VisitBritain has welcomed new research that hails the British people as the country’s greatest asset out of 6 key ‘nation brand’ dimensions…
VisitBritain has welcomed new research that hails the British people as the country’s greatest asset out of 6 key ‘nation brand’ dimensions . The UK is given third place in the Anholt-GMI Nation Brands Index of 25 countries for its people. The UK was also ranked fourth for its cultural heritage and seventh as the place people most aspire to visit as tourists.
Overall, the UK is perceived as the world’s fourth favourite nation behind Australia, Canada and Switzerland – and although all of the countries ahead of the UK have their clear weak points, the UK has none. The report gives special mention to Britain’s ‘uniquely robust’ brand profile that is ‘both consistent and positive’. However, VisitBritain – the national tourism marketing agency – pointed out that there is still work to do to maintain the Britain Brand and its competitive position among the world’s leading visitor destinations.
VisitBritain’s chief executive, Tom Wright, said:
“The Index suggests that Britain is perceived as an attractive and culturally rich country, which is widely admired and respected, and is populated by honest, professional people. Our high score for culture is the result of an unusual combination of high rankings in both cultural heritage and popular culture. Britain is certainly doing well, but we cannot rest on our laurels and must continue to raise standards; particularly in the welcome our visitors receive during every part of their stay.”
In tourism, Britain comes ahead of France and Spain aspirationally. These are the world’s top tourist destinations, which suggests that the potential for UK tourism is greater than its current performance.
Tom Wright continues: “We have been challenged to raise the value of the visitor economy towards £100 billion by the end of the decade and improving perceptions of the Britain Brand is a significant element of our marketing initiatives.
“VisitBritain’s own research confirms that the British people are one of the major reasons that visitors choose to return here again and again here and we continue to develop the depth, heart and vitality of Britain as a distinctive brand around the world. This is particularly important in newer markets where we will see the greatest potential for growth in visitor spending in the future. In fact, many of our newer markets, including China, India, Poland, Russia and South Korea, single out Britain for particular approval in this recent survey.”
Together, the three elements of depth, heart and vitality are the distillation of what Britain credibly aspires to stand for in the hearts and minds of its visitors. Depth describes the endless layers of stories, of history and tradition that are waiting to be discovered by our visitors. Heart is the generosity of spirit and friendliness of welcome to be found throughout Britain, inviting visitors to immerse and involve themselves in our communities and culture. Vitality represents the spark of inspiration – found throughout Britain and throughout the ages – that lives in art, literature, culture, fashion and music around the globe.
Simon Anholt, co-founder of the Index and a world authority on nation branding, points out that the UK ,“is the only mainstream nation in the top five Nation Brands and ahead of close rivals France and Germany. To have such a positive reputation is quite an achievement for Brand Britain.”
The Anholt-GMI Nation Brands Index is based on the opinion of 10,000 consumers from ten countries. It considers a nation’s brands, governance, culture, tourism, people and investment potential.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
