Canada is a world-class country that offers a captivating array of scenic, cultural, urban, and intellectual wonders. It’s also the second most reputable country, according to the Reputation Institute and its 2016 Country RepTrak^®, the world’s largest annual survey of country reputations.

The 2016 Country RepTrak^® scores and rankings are based on more than 58,000 ratings collected in the first quarter of 2016. They measure consumer perceptions of whether the country has an advanced economy, an appealing environment and an effective government. While few of the world’s largest and most powerful countries earn strong reputations, scores closely align with rankings of other measurements, such as happiness, peace and government integrity. Canada rated second to Sweden in the survey, and is followed by Switzerland, Australia, Norway, and others.

Why is the ranking important? “It shows that traditional, objective measures, such as size and economic output have little bearing on the general public’s emotional connection to a nation,” said Nicolas Trad, executive partner at the Reputation Institute. “Being welcoming, safe and beautiful are the top three drivers of a country’s reputation, and nations with a strong reputation are better positioned to welcome more tourists, increase exports, improve diplomacy and attract foreign investment, knowledge and talent.”

According to Daniel Tisch, president and CEO of Argyle Public Relationships, a leading Canadian expert in reputation management, Canada can easily regain the top spot next year as it did in 2015. “While Canada leads the world in external perceptions as a great place to study or visit, the research shows we can improve the perception of the nation as a business destination and desirable investment environment,” he said.

Congratulations to Canada for this exceptional ranking and honour, and enjoy this issue of Professional Security Canada.