Canada earns No.1 country brand in the world… AGAIN!

Canadian Tourism Commission welcomes back-to-back top-spot recognition of Canada's brand

Tweet: #Canada ranked #1 country brand in the world for second year in a row

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VANCOUVER, Nov. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - For the second year in a row, Canada has been named the #1 most powerful country brand in the world by FutureBrand, a leading international brand and design consultancy. Canada holds its ground against its competitors as it extends the global reach of its tourism brand.

Today, at the 32^nd annual World Travel Market (WTM) in London, England, FutureBrand announced that Canada keeps the top spot in its 2011 Country Brand Index (CBI), the most comprehensive global study of how travellers perceive countries around the world. The rankings are based on a global sample of online interviews of savvy leisure and business travellers. FutureBrand's 2010 CBI assessed 110 countries through online interviews with 3,400 travellers from 13 countries, eight of which were markets where the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) invests.

According to the CBI, the most important factors that truly differentiate a nation's brand are its associations and attributes: the qualities that people think of when they hear a country's name, read or see images of a location, or plan a business or leisure trip.

Says the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism, "Canada's continued rating at the top of FutureBrand's Country Brand Index is a testament to our country's global appeal. We have a wealth of compelling experiences for travellers, and our government is committed to sustaining this momentum by promoting Canada in innovative ways on the international stage. Through our recently launched Federal Tourism Strategy, we are continuing to position Canada's tourism sector as an economic driver of jobs and growth."

Recognizing the significant influence that Canada's tourism brand has on perceptions of the country, the CTC includes Canada's CBI rank among its own performance measures.

As a nation's personal calling card, a country's brand is a measure of international reputation. FutureBrand notes that a properly managed brand can inspire confidence in difficult times and boost the value of a country's exports from people to product and entire corporations.

"While Canada's tourism brand has grown into a powerful cultural force and a marketing tool to inspire visitation, it also has largely untapped potential as a lever to drive trade and investment in ideas, education and business," says Michele McKenzie, CTC President & CEO. "In this period of global economic turbulence, by showing the world that Canada is a dynamic, modern and cosmopolitan society, we're not just inviting the world to visit us, we're capitalizing on our positive reputation to open new doors and create new opportunities."

After the CTC launched Canada's revitalized tourism brand "Canada. Keep Exploring" six years ago, the country leapfrogged on FutureBrand's CBI ranking from 12^th place in 2006 to 6^th place in 2007, and jumped again to the #2 spot in 2008 and 2009, and finally clinched the top spot for the first time last year following the 2010 Winter Games. Canada keeps the coveted premier spot this year, being recognized as the most powerful, engaging and vibrant country brand in an intensely competitive international tourism marketplace.

Background information about FutureBrand's Country Brand Index (CBI):
The CBI, now in its seventh year, is a comprehensive study by FutureBrand, a leading international brand and design consultancy with 25 offices worldwide, of more than 3,000 international business and leisure travellers.

The CBI identifies emerging global trends in the world's fastest growing economic sector—travel & tourism—and examines how countries are branded and ranked in a variety of categories, such as best country to travel to, best country that showcases its historic assets, best place to extend a business trip to, most environmentally oriented and most friendly locals.

The CBI incorporates global quantitative research, expert opinions and relevant secondary sources for statistics that link brand equity to assets, growth and expansion. The result is a unique evaluation system that provides the basis of rankings and insights about the complexities and dynamics of country brands. The full report is available on the FutureBrand Web site at www.futurebrand.com

Additional Web links:

• Tourism Industry Factsheet to learn more about Canada's visitor economy.
• CTC Corporate Profile for key facts and figures about the CTC.
• FutureBrand's 2011 Country Brand Index

About the Canadian Tourism Commission:
The CTC is Canada's national tourism marketing organization. Our vision is inspiring the world to explore Canada. With our partners in the tourism industry and the governments of Canada, the provinces and the territories, we advertise and market Canada in 11 countries around the world, conduct industry research and studies, and promote product and industry development. For regular updates on CTC initiatives, subscribe to CTC News, available through RSS feeds and by e-mail. Become a fan on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or subscribe to our YouTube channel. For more information visit: www.canada.travel/corporate

SOURCE Canadian Tourism Commission

Video with caption: "Video: The Power of Tourism: the role tourism plays in Canada's economy". Video available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyE2qNyXRHM

Image with caption: "A highlight of the new Federal Tourism Strategy is CTC's Signature Experiences Collection(R)- an innovative marketing program to take Canada's tourism brand even further. Credit: 20,000 years under the ice, SEC member Jardin des Glaciers, Baie-Comeau, QC. (CNW Group/Canadian Tourism Commission)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20111110_C4340_PHOTO_EN_6429.jpg

Image with caption: "To grow tourism export revenues for Canada, CTC focuses on international markets where Canada's tourism brand leads and yields the highest return on investment. Credit: CTC campaign ad in Australia. (CNW Group/Canadian Tourism Commission)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20111110_C4340_PHOTO_EN_6427.jpg