In the Anholt Ipsos Nation Brands Index (NBI) 2022, which studies perceptions of countries around the world, Germany takes the top position in the ranking of 60 countries for the sixth time in a row and for the eighth time overall since 2008. Japan taking second place received strong reputational rankings on the Exports, Tourism, and Culture indices. Russia’s ranking falls to the bottom three nations.
Germany and its country brand thus holds a record: no other country has achieved the top position six times in a row since the NBI was first surveyed in 2008. Japan and Canada follow in second and third place this year. This means that Germany as a travel destination can build on an excellent image in the competition among nations, even under volatile conditions such as inflation, the economic crisis, the aftermath of the Corona pandemic and geopolitical conflicts.
In the tourism-relevant facets of the NBI 2022, Germany scores particularly well with "Historic Buildings," "Vibrant Cities" and "Contemporary Culture" (each in 7th place) and "Cultural Heritage" (in 9th place).
These assets, which are important for Destination Germany, support the profile characteristics that survey participants associate with the destination: 42 percent associate the country brand with "Educational," 32 percent with "Fascinating" and 30 percent with "Exciting". Many other recent surveys confirm Germany's excellent positioning as a sustainable destination in international competition on the supply and demand side.
For example, Germany ranks 6th in the SDG Index, which tracks countries' progress toward achieving the UN climate goals, 5th in the World Economic Forum's Travel & Tourism Development Index, and among the top 10 in all European countries in the YouGov Travel & Tourism Sustainability Ranking.
In an exclusive survey conducted by IPK International on behalf of the GNTB in September 2022 in 27 source markets of German incoming tourism, foreign travelers worldwide rate the range of offers in terms of climate and environmental protection as well as sustainability. In this analysis, Germany achieved 3rd place - after Switzerland and Sweden and ahead of Denmark, France and Austria.
Positive image and competitive offerings are reflected in customer satisfaction. According to the Quality Monitor Germany Tourism (July 2021 to April 2022), the Net Promoter Score, which reflects the probability of recommending Germany as a vacation destination to friends and acquaintances, is + 66 on a scale of - 100 to + 100.
Regarding other countries, after breaking the top two for the first time in 2021, Canada is back in third place. Canada dropped in the rankings on Governance, where it once held a first-place ranking. However, it is still the top nation on the People and Immigration and Investment Indices. Japan’s robust ratings on the Exports, Tourism, and Culture Indices helped it climb to the second spot on the overall NBI.
The UK landed on the 6th position. While the UK remains a constant in the NBI’s top 10, for the first time in NBI history it falls out of the top five. The Kingdom sees weaknesses on the People and Governance indices, where it received lower marks on the welcoming nature of its people and having a competent and honest government.
Italy (#4), Switzerland (#7), the United States (#8), Sweden (#9), and Australia (#10) all retain their top-10 rankings from 2021, despite above-average declines in score.