30 November

A study of country brand strength carried out by the international consultancy FutureBrand has found that Estonia still has a relatively weak image globally, but that its star is rising.

The company's annual Country Brand Index, which combines data polled from frequent travellers and opinion leaders with the views of experts in various sectors, rated Estonia 66th out of the 113 countries covered. Estonia's result marks a gain of 23 places compared to last year, putting its brand strength just ahead of Panama and Tanzania, and just behind Jamaica and China.

The study rated countries in five areas: value systems, quality of life, business environment, heritage and culture, and tourism. Canada came out in the top position for the second year running, followed by Switzerland and New Zealand. Iran, Zimbabwe and Pakistan ended in the rear positions.