AUSTRALIA RANKS #1 AS WORLD’S TOP COUNTRY BRAND FOR
THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR, GLOBAL STUDY REVEALS

- Africa, Asia and Middle East Experiencing High Growth for Travel & Tourism Demand, While Specialized Travel Increases with Growth in Women-Only Tours, Multi-generational and Religious Tourism -

LONDON – Nov. 10, 2008 - Australia earns the coveted spot as the world’s top country brand for the third consecutive year, according to the 2008 Country Brand Index (CBI) which will be officially released Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2008 at London’s World Travel Market, the premier annual exhibition of the global travel trade. Rising from its sixth place ranking last year, Canada is recognized second and the United States rounds out the top three country brands in the 2008 study. Other countries making the top 10 include Italy, Switzerland and France. The CBI examines how countries are branded and ranked according to key criteria, and identifies emerging global trends in the world’s fastest growing economic sector – travel and tourism, which accounts for US$5.9 trillion of economic activity worldwide this year and more than 238 million jobs…. Read more.