Dublin has risen two places to rank as the 20th “most reputable” city in the world.
The ranking is a boost to the capital’s efforts to present itself as an alternative for financial firms looking at leaving London as a result of the Brexit vote.
London has slipped back to the 22nd place, ahead of Paris.
According to the City RepTrak 2016, which is compiled by the Reputations Agency and the Reputation Institute, Dublin has achieved its joint-highest ranking in the survey, which is based on the views of the general public in developed economies.
Sydney claimed the top spot, followed by Vienna and Zurich.
IDA chief Martin Shanahan welcomed the increase, saying “rankings matter” to foreign direct investment (FDI).
Cities are evaluated based on levels of trust, esteem, admiration and respect.
The City RepTrak also measures cities across 16 metrics, including advanced economy, effective administration, and the business environment offered by the location. Willingness to visit, work, live, and invest also come into account when evaluating a nation.
This has become more important to Ireland following the Brexit vote.
Dublin has now ranked ahead of potential rivals for investment such as London, Paris, Berlin, and Brussels, though behind Frankfurt.
The study was conducted through an online questionnaire of 20,600 members of the public in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the UK, and the US.
Those that are “somewhat” or “very” familiar with the cities are selected to rate them.
“With a renewed focus on alternatives to London post-Brexit, and given the link between a city’s reputation and people’s willingness to visit, work, live and invest in that city, an enhanced reputation can only add to the attractiveness of Dublin as a possible location for businesses,” said Niall Quinn, head of corporate PR at The Reputations Agency in Dublin.
The city’s boost in the rankings was “encouraging”, he said.
@ Irish Independent
