London is the city with the best reputation in the world, according to a new study. The New York-based Reputation Institute studied 100 cities across the world for its ‘2011 City RepTrak’ report, measuring the inhabitants’ levels of trust, esteem, admiration and positive feelings the public holds towards their city, as well as perceptions of the economy and administration.
Results from more than 35,000 respondents in 15 countries showed that London topped the list, followed by Geneva, Sydney, Vienna and Venice.
“The study shows that a strong city reputation requires hard work across many different areas – having cultural appeal or being an international business hub is simply not enough,” said Nicolas Trad, executive partner of the Reputation Institute.
Despite the UK’s current economic squeeze, the study found that Londoners are finding solace in London’s hosting of the 2012 Olympics.
When contacted about the study’s findings, London & Partners’ chief executive, Gordon Innes said; “As the official promotional organisation for London, we are delighted with this accolade recognising our reputation as a world class city. The top rating demonstrates London’s enduring appeal to visitors, students and businesses. The many enhancements to the city in the lead up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will ensure the capital continues to be trusted and admired by the global community and Londoners alike.”
The Reputation Institute also measured whether a city was perceived as safe for visitors and residents. The consultancy said that this could explain the low ranking of US cities such as New York (25th), Los Angeles (41st) and Chicago (42nd).
Importantly, this year’s study found a direct link between cities’ reputation and people’s willingness to visit them.
“The study shows that people are almost three times more likely to visit cities ranked in the top 10 compared with those ranked in the bottom 10 of the reputation ranking,” said Kasper Nielsen, executive partner of Reputation Institute.
The top 10 cities were:
1) London
2) Geneva
3) Sydney
4) Vienna
5) Venice
6) Rome
7) Barcelona
8) Oslo
9) Florence
10) Vancouver