Overview
ISO 11778:2025 - "Brand evaluation - Tourism city" defines a standardized framework, indicators and processes for assessing the brand value and strength of a tourism city. Aligned with ISO 20671-1 principles, the standard helps quantify how a city’s tourism brand contributes to stakeholder perceptions, economic outcomes and long-term competitiveness. It is applicable to city authorities, destination marketing organizations, industry bodies and third-party evaluators.
Key topics and requirements
- Framework and scope: Establishes a two‑part approach focused on brand building input and brand performance, using both quantitative and qualitative indicators.
- Indicator set: Specifies 8 primary indicators (tourism resources, tourism infrastructure, convenience of tourism service, environmental sustainability, security, related party evaluation, tourist arrivals and financial performance) composed of 53 secondary indicators (examples below).
- Examples of secondary indicators:
- Natural and cultural assets (heritage sites, museums, festivals)
- Transport and accommodation metrics (airport/train volumes, hotel star-level mix)
- Digital and service convenience (4G/5G coverage, mobile payment, online booking)
- Environmental measures (PM2.5 compliance, green space, energy/carbon intensity, water use)
- Safety and reputation (crime rate, safety incidents, complaint rates, social media and platform rankings)
- Community and workforce metrics (resident involvement, tourism employment gender balance)
- Evaluation process requirements:
- Determine and define the evaluation object
- Collect data with authenticity and accuracy from government, tourism providers and qualified external sources
- Check relevance, consistency and validity of input data; document assumptions where estimates are used
- Monitor, disclose and justify indicator selection, measurement frequency and any formulas used
- Retain documented evidence and report point‑in‑time results and brand potential
- Continuous improvement: Encourages iterative evaluation (recommended at least annually) to inform brand management and investment decisions.
Practical applications and users
ISO 11778:2025 is useful for:
- City governments and destination management organizations conducting brand benchmarking and strategic planning
- Tourism boards and marketing agencies shaping destination branding and campaigns
- Consultants and valuation firms performing brand audits and economic impact analyses
- Industry associations and certification bodies benchmarking sustainability and service standards
- Researchers studying destination competitiveness and stakeholder perceptions
Common applications include brand benchmarking, performance monitoring, investment prioritization, crisis and risk reduction planning, sustainability reporting and stakeholder engagement strategies.
Related standards
- ISO 20671-1:2021 - Brand evaluation - Part 1: Principles and fundamentals (normative reference)
- ISO 20671-2 - referenced for steps and reporting processes of brand evaluation
Keywords: ISO 11778:2025, tourism city brand evaluation, tourism branding, brand strength, brand indicators, destination management, environmental sustainability, stakeholder evaluation.
