Travel, Tourism & Hospitality
Riyadh, Jeddah make it to Safffron City Brand Barometer
Saffron, the global brand consultants behind Meta, YouTube, has announced that Saudi cities Riyadh and Jeddah have featured as first time entrants in its first tourism 'City Brand Barometer', which analyses the highly competitive post-pandemic landscape.
Saffron, the global brand consultants behind Meta, YouTube, and city brands such as Vienna and London, has announced that Saudi cities Riyadh and Jeddah have featured as first time entrants in its first tourism 'City Brand Barometer,' which analyses the highly competitive post-pandemic landscape.
After the Business edition in 2021, the 2022 City Brand Barometer, a proprietary biannual study that measures which cities from around the world have the strongest brands to attract international tourism.
It analyses the highly competitive post-pandemic landscape, and 104 of the most relevant cities to the global tourism industry.
In this latest report, Tokyo (#1) surpasses London (#2) and Paris (#3) for the first time to be ranked the strongest global tourism brand.
Likewise, buzz-strong Abu Dhabi (#13) has solidified its assets score to ascend from a 2020 One to Watch to a Top 20 Challenger. Dubai maintains its position (#6) in the Top 10, while Riyadh (#34) and Jeddah (#47) debut on the City Brand Barometer as Underperformers as with weak buzz but notably strong assets.
The rise of each of these Middle Eastern city brands is explored in the report's featured case studies.
To define the strength of each city's 'tourism brand' Saffron assessed their 'buzz,' or the perception of each city, and combined it with their 'assets' such as weather, cost, number of attractions, overall infrastructure and development.
Breakout lists highlighted include the Top Ten, the Challengers, the Underperformers and the Ones to Watch.
The Top 10 cities that represent the strongest tourism city brands globally include: Tokyo, London, Paris, New York City,
Barcelona, Dubai, Singapore, Amsterdam, Madrid and Rome.
The Challengers List (comprising cities with great tourism brands that look set to unseat the Top 10 in the near future) includes Sydney; Beijing; Abu Dhabi; San Francisco; Kyoto; Berlin; Vienna; Jaipur; Osaka and Bangkok.
The Underperformers List (those, including new entrants, are in the Top 20 globally for assets but have an average or low buzz score, signifying great potential for growth) comprises Fukuoka; Moscow; Brisbane; Riyadh; Seville; Prague; Antalya; Jeddah; Yokohama and Chiang Mai.
The Ones to Watch Out List (those who are expected to be making upward moves in Saffron ranking in the near future due to the strength of their buzz) inludes names of cities such as Los Angeles; Vancouver; Miami; Cape Town; Atlanta; Hong Kong; Chicago; Toronto; Venice and Las Vegas.
Alfredo Fraile, Chief Business Development Officer at Saffron, said: "This is the moment for both Riyadh and Jeddah to intentionally and authentically develop strong place brands that reflect what makes their cities unique. These cities, especially Riyadh, have evolved and become advanced cities to work and live."
"Their extensive and ever-growing offer reflects the transformation that the whole country is experiencing under Vision 2030. It's time to build their city brands with purpose, shaping global public perception in a way that takes into account Riyadh and Jeddah's rich histories. By doing so, they can play a key role in Saudi Arabia's vision for the near future," he added.-TradeArabia News Service