Canada has become the most respected country brand in the world bumping the U.S. from the top spot as it leveraged the 2010 Winter Games to extend the global reach of its tourism brand.
The ranking comes from the Country Brand Index by FutureBrand, a New York-based global brand consultancy. Michele McKenzie, President and CEO of the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC), will be present at the formal awards ceremony on November 11th in London at the 31st annual World Travel Market.
After launching the revitalized tourism brand "Canada. Keep exploring", six years ago, Canada leapfrogged from 12th place in 2006 to sixth place in 2007, and jumped again to second place in 2008, a position it held again in 2009. This year, the U.S. ceded the coveted premier spot to Canada.
As McKenzie sums up, "Several years ago, CTC set out to refresh Canada's tourism brand in anticipation of being on the world stage in 2010. We believed that with the right strategy, a legacy of the Games could be more interest in Canada as a travel destination, and ultimately more visitors."
"The CTC and our partners seized the once-in-a-generation opportunity provided by the Games to showcase Canada's tourism brand internationally. We placed stunning video shot from coast to coast to coast directly into the hands of broadcasters from all the countries in which the CTC markets."
Initial results of the CTC's marketing campaigns conducted before, during and after the Games indicate that the number of trips booked has increased over 2009 as a result of the awareness created of Canada as a top-ranked travel destination.
The CTC's Olympic strategy, which runs to the end of 2012, was funded by a $26 million federal investment.
