Top five in Latin America
Out of 21 countries, Peru was ranked behind Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica and Chile in the index that was put together by surveying more than 2,000 business and leisure travellers from the US, UK, UAE, Australia, India, South Africa, China, Germany, Japan, Russia, Italy, France, Sweden and South Korea.
The country brand is a concept used in marketing and communication to refer to the intangible value of the reputation and image of a country by looking at aspects such as its products, tourism, culture, sports, companies and government agencies, all of which help determine the values associated with a country.
A good country brand, for those who advocate the concept, adds value to the products of that country labelled ‘made in ...’, as well as to its tourism. It helps attract foreign capital, and promotes labour recruitment and its political and cultural influence in the world. As a result, many countries have organisations dedicated to improving their brand image and emphasising their distinguishing qualities. British independent policy adviser Simon Anholt is considered the founder and promoter of this concept.
The assessment of a country brand has many variables including tourism, its heritage and culture, its value system, the quality of life and whether it is a good place for business. In Latin America, Peru leads in the history and cultural heritage category while its greatest weaknesses are quality of life and fitness for business, where it ranked 12th and ninth, respectively—understandable for a country that for many years has suffered from corruption, economic crisis and political violence.
The study that placed Peru in fifth place recognised its many attributes but also suggested it has significant challenges to overcome in the near future. The experts consulted described Peru as an emerging state similar to Chile and Brazil, but with key aspects such as quality of life and fitness for business that needed to be strengthened to improve, for example, its tourism potential.
The strength of Peru’s history and cultural heritage brand is a major attraction for the international traveller, especially given the country’s arts and culture, authenticity, history and natural beauty. The country’s tourism brand earned it a fifth place after considering aspects such as food and drink, hotels and resorts, convenience, beaches, nightlife and shopping.
The most striking aspect in this area was that Peru ranked second in gastronomy behind only Argentina. On the other hand, Peru did not appear in the top 10 destinations for good beaches, which it used to be thought highly for.
It also performed poorly in the quality of life category, ranking 12th. The items that make up this category include security issues, education, the health system, employment opportunities, the standard of living and places to live, areas in which Peru does not generally have an outstanding profile because of various social conflicts in recent years.
Another revealing result was Peru’s ninth place in the category fitness for business, which looks at areas such as advanced technology, the investment climate, the regulatory framework and the availability of skilled labour. While it is true that economic growth has increased in recent years, the report reveals that this growth has, regrettably, not been recognised by investors and tourists.
Nonetheless, these figures can be used to continue efforts to improve the country’s image, resulting in better living conditions for its people, as well as to highlight the business opportunities available to investors considering the option of investing in Peru.
Marcos Fernández-Dávila is a legal adviser at Estudio Delion. He can be contacted at: mfd_legal@estudiodelion.com.pe
