Canada has one of the most trusted country reputations in the world. It is known for its landscapes, its openness and the friendliness of its people, and it ranks near the top of most reputation and soft power indices.
This profile looks at how Canada is positioned, how it is read from outside, and where the two pull apart, drawing on the major rankings alongside our own coverage of the country and its cities since 2015.
Country Brand Strength
Canada has placed in the top ten of Brand Finance‘s Global Soft Power Index and second, behind Japan, in the RepCore Nations reputation ranking.
Gloria Lorée of Destination Canada told us why the country’s new campaign, Canada, naturally., deliberately avoids spectacle. It shows everyday moments and Canadians themselves rather than bucket-list scenery, on the reasoning that how Canada feels is a stronger differentiator than how it looks. She sees tourism as the first way many people experience the country, and so as part of how Canada is seen as a place to study, invest and live.
Economic Position
Tourism is one of Canada’s largest service exports, and Destination Canada’s Tourism 2030 strategy ties it to the country’s wider goals of diversifying trade beyond the United States and attracting investment.
Below the national level, regions have repositioned themselves around specific sectors. Jacquie Severs told us how Durham Region moved from an automotive identity to presenting itself as Canada’s Clean Energy Capital.
Appeal to Talent
Canadian cities feature prominently in TPBO’s talent attraction record, and they have built more practical infrastructure than most. Stéphane Paquet of Montréal International told us the agency doubled its immigration consulting team because employers needed clarity. Robyn Webb described Halifax’s Connector Program, now running in 47 communities across Canada and abroad. Kim van der Horst explained how Ottawa links talent attraction with employers’ hiring needs.
At the same time, national policy has tightened. Canada plans to admit close to half as many new international students in 2026 as in 2024, a decision taken well above the level at which most of this city work happens.
Sustainability and Quality of Life
Destination Canada has begun measuring tourism by more than visitor numbers. Its Tourism Wealth & Wellbeing Index looks at six dimensions, from economy and employment to environment and community engagement. Lisa Barrett told us how tourism is meant to drive wellbeing and long-term value for communities across the country.
What Stands Out
Canada’s reputation is strong, and its national brand is unusually honest about what it wants to be known for: warmth, openness and everyday life rather than spectacle.
In TPBO’s reading, the tension sits between that message and immigration policy. Canada invites the world to feel welcome while admitting far fewer international students than two years ago, and its cities, which have built some of the most practical talent infrastructure in our record, are working inside limits set in Ottawa.
Canada presents itself through nature, warmth and openness, and that is largely what people already associate with it.
Nature and friendliness are claimed by many countries. Choosing everyday moments over spectacle is a more unusual way of saying it.
Reputation rankings and tourism growth support the brand. Sharp cuts to international student numbers sit uneasily with the message of openness.
Positions are relative to the places in TPBO’s editorial record and based on public material only.
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From Our Archive
- 2026Gloria Lorée on Canada, naturally and the shift from volume to values
- 2026Halifax: designing the connections that help talent stay
- 2026Montréal: supporting the talent immigration process
- 2026Ottawa: when talent attraction becomes hiring infrastructure
- 2025Lisa Barrett on rethinking tourism at Destination Canada
- 2025Jacquie Severs on Durham Region as Canada’s Clean Energy Capital
- 2019David Ferreira on how Mississauga approaches city branding
- 2017City branding case study: the story of Edmonton
- 2015Nicolas Papadopoulos on country image research and nation branding
About this profile. We combine the main international rankings, including Brand Finance‘s Global Soft Power Index, with our own interviews and reporting. Rankings change every year, so positions are described in broad terms. See the rankings and indices we follow, or explore our other country profiles.