All nations possess various assets that create an image of national and cultural identity to the public abroad. This image can produce either attraction or repulsion, depending on a range of domestic and international factors. This paper aims to explore the endogenous and exogenous forces involved in the process of national image-making, which, in combination with the context of the international system, creates a specific sense of attractiveness for foreign audiences. The author uses data from the period between 2008-2018 related to Mexico to investigate and authenticate the force that has greater explanatory power in understanding the idea of territorial attractiveness embedded in soft power dynamics and public diplomacy.