New Zealand now on Fourth place in the fifth annual Futurebrand Country Brand Index (CBI). from seventh overall in 2008.
The survey placed New Zealand just behind the US, Canada and Australia in the survey, which ranks countries in terms of their brand strength in tourism.
New Zealand also made it into the top five countries for safety, natural beauty, families, environmentalism, and outdoor activities and sports, as well as being one of the top five countries people want to visit or return to.
FutureBrand Chief Executive Tim Riches said the 100% Pure New Zealand campaign had shown clarity and consistency over the last three years, helping New Zealand rise to the challenges facing global tourism.
"The New Zealand brand has been punching above its weight," he said.
"It highlights the importance of the Kiwi approach, showing that there are great rewards for a country in promoting responsible travel and in designing and managing sustainable tourism practices.
"In a highly competitive international market New Zealand has identified and risen to the challenges."
The FutureBrand CBI is a comprehensive survey of approximately 3,000 international business and leisure travellers from nine countries.
It ranks countries in terms of their brand strength and identifies emerging global trends in travel and tourism, the world’s fastest growing economic sector.
The research looked at 102 country brands and their effectiveness.
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