ISO 11778:2025

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.