Singapore Emerges Second for Nightlife/Dining and Shopping in Global Country Brand Index

Singapore has emerged second for nightlife/dining in the second annual Country Brand Index 2006 (CBI), rising from being unranked in the previous survey to beating countries such as the United States, United Kingdom and Thailand. It has also done well in terms of providing accessible, abundant and diverse retail options, ranked second only to the United States for shopping. Thailand retained its position as the Best Country Brand for Value for Money.

It continues to retain its attractiveness as a country for conducting businesses and conferences, rising six notches from last year to being the third most preferred off-site/convention destination. Singapore also made the top 10 list for being an ideal country to do business in or with, and for having a friendly and favorable business culture.

Singapore has made it within the list of top 10 country brands in nine of the 20 categories. Other best country brand categories in which it was ranked include that for resort/lodging options, families, safety and value for money.

Developed by FutureBrand, a leading global brand consultancy, in conjunction with the public relations firm Weber Shandwick’s Global Travel Practice, the global study of more than 1,500 international travelers, travel industry experts and hospitality professionals examines how countries can be branded and ranked according to key criteria. Released at the World Travel market being held in London, this year’s CBI includes rankings, as well as emerging trends, travel motivations, challenges and opportunities within the world of travel, tourism and country branding. 

The CBI identifies countries as brands and emerging global travel trends in the world’s fastest-growing economic sector1, travel and tourism, which accounts for nearly one in every 12 jobs worldwide.

“Singapore’s efforts in defining and promoting its destination brand are bearing fruit, and this has been visibly demonstrated in its strong rankings in this year’s index. Its performance this year has been impressive, beating countries such as the United States and United Kingdom in key categories. We continue to believe that branding is a tremendous opportunity for both developed and developing  countries to build consideration, preference, loyalty and advocacy and as Singapore continues to reinforce its brand image and deliver on its brand promise, we can expect it to continue moving up the various categories” said Dominic Mason, VP strategy and innovation, FutureBrand.

“If travel and tourism is the world’s second largest industry – often driving entire national economies – governments should be focusing more attention on how their destinations not only market themselves, but also influence and improve the experience for every visitor,” said René A. Mack, president of Weber Shandwick’s Global Travel Practice.

The CBI also reports that new trends in travel and tourism are emerging, and key markets are gaining momentum as consumers are focused on meeting their unique criteria when planning a trip. This year’s trends revolve around “experiences beyond the guidebook,” including:

 • By Travelers for Travelers – A new generation of travel content no longer relies on authoritative experts. Technology has given rise to countless websites and blogs that are geared to social networking. Travelers are embracing these vehicles to organize and shape a travel community for travelers, by travelers.

• Scarcity Drives Demand – Travelers are becoming more attracted to the limited and the scarce. The harder it is to get in, the more desirable the experience is becoming.

• At Home While Abroad – Many travel companies now employ people of the same visitor nationality to service their tours. Speaking the language is no longer sufficient and now many travel companies promote “travel with someone from your own country.”

With new trends and an expanding global travel community come new audiences that are seeking detoxication spas, “health-tels,” semi-permanent vacation homes and commemoration trips abroad, e.g., weddings, anniversaries, reunions, milestones and multi-generational bonding.

FutureBrand’s research continues to affirm the importance of practical needs (safety, value for the money, ability to easily communicate, proximity and weather) and experiential wants (natural beauty, authenticity, art/culture, lodging and resort options, and outdoor activities) in a country-brand ranking. It shows that the fine chemistry of practical needs and experiential wants helps define the brand and overall destination experience.

At the core of the CBI is an overview of why travelers select a particular destination over another. Practical, experiential and aspirational motivations all factor into what business and leisure travelers look for in a country destination – generally, one that offers escapism, discovery and affinity.

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