New Zealand receives international acknowledgement

Destination New Zealand's world-class experiences received further recognition and acclaim by travellers and the international tourism industry, during October and November.

The seventh annual FutureBrand Country Brand Index (CBI), ranked New Zealand as the third strongest country brand in the world, just behind Canada and Switzerland. The index assessed the perceptions of 113 nations, across five measures of brand strength, to ascertain what makes a country's brand powerful and unique. New Zealand received some of the highest scores in the index for countries with populations below ten million and leads the rankings in terms of perceptions of Natural Beauty and authenticity of Heritage and Culture.

Meanwhile, at the annual Viagens e Turismo tourism awards in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, New Zealand was voted the top global eco-tourism destination, beating Machu Picchu and Pattagonia, among others.

Alongside this, Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2012 announced that the jewel in the crown of New Zealand's South Island - Queenstown - and the Southern Lakes region were among the world's Top 10 recommended regions to visit.

Responding to the series of acknowledgments, Tourism New Zealand's Chief Executive Kevin Bowler said, "The awards recognise all the great things about New Zealand that we profile to the world to encourage travellers to book their holiday and experience for themselves. Such acknowledgements give us confidence that our marketing activity and strategy are on track."