The latest Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking Tourism edition is the first to reveal the impacts of Covid-19 on the performance of Nation Brands worldwide. Along with the global public health crisis and how it was managed, political events like Brexit, climate incidents and more have impacted this year’s results. Future editions will reveal the effects of the Russia-Ukraine war.

This article will provide insight into the Top 10 and highlights of this year’s Tourism edition.

Top performers

Spain and Italy were among the first and worst-hit countries in Europe by the pandemic but that hasn’t hindered their success. Spain took the throne, while Italy jumped five places, overtaking the United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom (UK) to pinch second spot. This illustrates the strength and resilience of the Country Brands of both South European powerhouses.

Also in Europe, Germany scored plus six as it reported excellent results for D2 – Digital Demand © with travellers interested in heritage, cities and gastronomy. France has held onto its comfortable position at number nine on the world stage.

In Asia, Japan did well for touristic appeal, social media performance and D2 – Digital Demand ©. The “Land of the Rising Sun” is likely benefiting from the popularity of culture and lifestyle trends like Japandi. Unfortunately, Hong Kong – typically a popular destination – did not fare as well, losing six places and certainly feeling the effects of the pandemic and regional tension. Tourism powerhouse Thailand fell by four places in the global ranking, having suffered blows to its social media performance, touristic receipts and even CBS Rating ©.

While the USA fell by only two positions in the world ranking, that meant losing a first place for the first time since the inception of the ranking in 2011! The “land of the free and home of the brave” was still the leader for touristic receipts but saw a drop in CBS Rating © and worse results for social media performance.

While the Oceania continental ranking is rather stable, it is the first time Australia has left the global Top 5. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic following on from devastating wildfires has brought misfortune to the country.

Highlights

Europe is still the most widely represented continent in the Top 25. Although Ireland dropped out of the Top 25, Europe gained strength with the addition of Norway and the return of the Netherlands, which showed growth across the board. Its focus on responsible and sustainable tourism policies during the pandemic was clearly a sensible step forward.

Along with other Mediterranean countries, Croatia scored encouraging results yet again. Croatia’s consistent performance for D2 – Digital Demand © and social media presence, as well as stable tourism receipts go hand in hand with its rise as a top tourism destination in Europe. The country has leapt four places to number 16.

Asia has lost out in this edition with lower positions for traditional leaders China, Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong. The effects of Covid-19 originating in China cannot be played down.

In the Americas, Mexico is one to watch as it inches closer to the Top 10. This is one country, which may have gained from a tourism-friendly policy during the pandemic. It remains the only Latin American country in the global Top 25.

Over in Oceania, New Zealand is performing well, scoring a place among the Top 25 for the second time and proving that a country’s geographic location is not an obstacle.

While no countries in Africa landed a place in the Top 10 this year, Egypt is among the Top 25, showing serious determination. Nigeria and Rwanda are also advancing fast and will be interesting to keep an eye on.

For the full lowdown, download the report

The complete Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking Tourism edition will provide more insight into this year’s rises, falls and surprises. It is now available to download for free. The report is designed to assist in the Nation Branding process and serve as a benchmark for brand managers and other stakeholders. The World Economic Forum, World Bank and European Travel Commission use the data, too.

Download the complete Country Brand Ranking.