Italy's rep better abroad than at home

(ANSA) - Milan, June 23 - Italy has a better reputation abroad than it does at home, a new RepTrak report by the Reputation Institute showed Thursday.
    Italy's reputation abroad was valued at 71 points - up four points over 2015 - to place 12th in a global ranking that saw Sweden take the top slot as the country with the best reputation in the world at 78 points.
    Italy's reputation at home was significantly lower, at 57 points.
    Country RepTrak measures the reputation of 55 countries based on levels of trust, esteem, admiration and respect from an online panel of more than 48,000 people representing the G8 countries. The report measures the way a country is perceived by exploring 16 attributes, including it being viewed as: a safe place to visit, a beautiful country, having friendly and welcoming residents, having progressive social and economic policies, being run by an effective government, and more. Also in the top 10 were Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Holland, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland.
    France ranked 15th, Germany 18th, and the United States 28th. Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan came last with 24 points.
    "The reputation we enjoy abroad is significantly higher than that which Italians attribute to their own country," said Reputation Institute Italy Managing Director Michele Tesoro.
    "The growth of foreign investments in Italy confirm the data - Italy has the possibility of further growth, as long as there is renewed focus on its cultural and landscape heritage, and political stability and the path of reform are confirmed".