Hungary ranks second on global list of cheap holiday resorts - paper

Hungary was ranked second on the global list of holiday resorts with the best price-value ratios, trailing only Thailand, business daily Világgazdaság said on Monday.

[MTI] According to the Country Brand Index (CBI) 2007, compiled by the FutureBrand and Weber Shandwik marketing companies annually, Hungary has advanced eight places since last year, overtaking its old regional rival, the Czech Republic, the paper said.

Hungarian experts appreciated this qualification from the point of view of the country's marketing and suitability for attracting foreign tourists to Hungary. Tourism service providers, however, were less happy, saying that the index reflected a decline in their profitability.

According to this year's CBI, Australia once again earned the spot as the world's top country brand, with the United States ranking second and the United Kingdom ascending to third. Other countries making the top 10 included Japan, Canada, France and Greece. The CBI also identified Croatia, China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the top three "rising stars".

This year's index included rankings and trends as well as travel motivations, challenges and opportunities within the worlds of travel, tourism and country branding.