London leads top 100 ‘city brands’ for 2nd consecutive year

By Hulya Omur Uylas

ANKARA (AA) – London topped the list of the top 100 “city brands” for the second consecutive year, according to the leading valuation group Brand Finance’s Global City Index, released on Thursday, also featuring a number of Turkish cities.

The ranking was based on responses from a survey of 15,000 people from 20 countries, including Türkiye, the US, Germany, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, China, and more.

Cities were ranked across seven main pillars – “Business & Investment, Liveability, Culture & Heritage, People & Values, Sustainability & Transport, Governance, and Education & Science” – plus 45 attributes.

London ranked first, followed by New York, Paris, Tokyo, Dubai, Singapore, Los Angeles, Sydney, San Francisco, and Amsterdam.

As for Turkish cities on the list, Istanbul this year rose from 57th to 51st, while Antalya, a gem of the Turkish Riviera, ranked 93rd and the Aegean city of Izmir 98th.

Muhterem Ilguner, managing director for Türkiye at Brand Finance, stated that Turkish cities on the list, especially Istanbul with its rich history and nature, need to improve “city branding,” and efforts should be made to increase recognition for other Turkish cities as well.

Ilguner said Antalya attracted significant attention with its tourism investments and activities. While it was noteworthy to see the resort city make the list, he urged other attractive cities that are not necessarily tourist hubs to also be included in Türkiye’s promotional efforts.

Writing by Emir Yildirim in Istanbul