Phuket

Phuket, Thailand, scores 45 on the CIRA Index of tourism resilience, #259 of 309 destinations. 23 of 29 measures come from public sources, with 71% confidence. Every grade below states its value, period and source.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: 45
• OECD: 54
• UN Tourism: 46
• UNDRR: 63

Strongest

• Extreme heat days: 2.4 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 76.3 % average annual occupancy (region figure) (Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS) Thailand, Provincial Tourism Statistics, 2025). At or above 75: grade 4/4.
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated, tested plan that names visitors and tourism operators, with warnings in several languages (The ASEAN Magazine, 'Thailand's Progress 20 Years After the Indian Ocean Tsunami' & ICPADM, 2024). Grade 4/4.

Weakest

• Wastewater safely treated: 27 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (country figure) (GIZ / Pollution Control Department Thailand, 'DSPOT supports Thailand's data management of domestic wastewater treatment plants', 2021). Below 50: grade 0/4.
• Short-let density: 5.6 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (region figure) (Airbtics / Phuket Provincial Administration, 2024–2025). Above 4: grade 0/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 876 kg per resident per year (region figure) (MDPI Sustainability, 'Circular Transitions in Island Regions: Overcoming Waste Management Challenges Through Community-Driven Solutions', 2024). Above 700: grade 0/4.

Thailand in the World Economic Forum Travel & Tourism Development Index

Thailand is #38 of 110 countries (4.35 of 7) in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026, which scores countries, not cities. Cities in countries with that WEF score average 61 on the CIRA Index; Phuket is 16 below that.

Every measure, by theme

Demand and seasonality: 70

• Nights in the three busiest months: 29.7 % of annual nights (country figure) (World Economic Forum, TTDI 2026 (data: UN Tourism by United Nations World Tourism Organization), 2024, 2025 moving average). At or below 30: grade 4/4. Source
• Domestic share of nights: 24.8 % of nights by residents of the same country (region figure) (Thailand Ministry of Tourism and Sports (via Official Provincial Tourism Statistics), 2024). Between 15 and 25: grade 1/4. Source
• Largest foreign market: 17.3 % of international arrivals or nights (region figure) (Thailand Ministry of Tourism and Sports, 2025). Between 15 and 20: grade 3/4. Source
• Recovery against 2019: 97.8 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (region figure) (Ministry of Tourism and Sports (Thailand), Phuket Tourism Statistics 2012–2025, 2025). Between 90 and 100: grade 2/4. Source
• Average length of stay: not measured yet
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 76.3 % average annual occupancy (region figure) (Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS) Thailand, Provincial Tourism Statistics, 2025). At or above 75: grade 4/4. Source

Economy and jobs: 75

• Jobs in tourism industries: 8.8 % of employment in accommodation and food services (country figure) (National Statistical Office of Thailand, The Labour Force Survey Whole Kingdom Report, 2024). Between 8 and 12: grade 3/4. Source
• Unemployment rate: 0.8 % of the labour force (country figure) (World Bank WDI, 2025). At or below 5: grade 4/4. Source
• Income per head: 37,383 GDP per capita, USD PPP (region figure) (Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) / World Bank, 2019). Between 30,000 and 45,000: grade 2/4. Source
• Economic diversity: not measured yet

Climate and hazards: 40

• Extreme heat days: 2.4 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). At or below 5: grade 4/4. Source
• Tropical nights: 365.2 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Above 100: grade 0/4. Source
• Flood hazard: high (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 1/4. Source
• Wildfire and storm hazard: high (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 1/4. Source
• Country disaster risk: 4.9 INFORM Risk index, 0–10 (country figure) (INFORM Risk (European Commission JRC), INFORM Risk Mid 2026, 2026). Between 3.5 and 5: grade 2/4. Source

Water and environment: 0

• Water scarcity: not measured yet
• Wastewater safely treated: 27 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (country figure) (GIZ / Pollution Control Department Thailand, 'DSPOT supports Thailand's data management of domestic wastewater treatment plants', 2021). Below 50: grade 0/4. Source
• Municipal waste per resident: 876 kg per resident per year (region figure) (MDPI Sustainability, 'Circular Transitions in Island Regions: Overcoming Waste Management Challenges Through Community-Driven Solutions', 2024). Above 700: grade 0/4. Source
• Green space: not measured yet

Community and housing: 25

• Tourism intensity: not measured yet
• Cruise pressure: not measured yet
• Rent growth: 10 % change in rents over the last 12 months (region figure) (FazWaz, Phuket Price Rental Index 2023, 2023). Between 6 and 10: grade 2/4. Source
• Short-let density: 5.6 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (region figure) (Airbtics / Phuket Provincial Administration, 2024–2025). Above 4: grade 0/4. Source
• Resident support for tourism: not measured yet

Access and continuity: 71

• Access redundancy: 2 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (region figure) (Bangkok Post, 'Phuket eyes transport hub status' & Ministry of Transport, 2025–2026). Between 2 and 3: grade 2/4. Source
• Air traffic recovery: not measured yet
• Rail share of intercity access: not measured yet
• Rail traffic recovery: not measured yet
• Largest airline group share: not measured yet
• Air route concentration: not measured yet
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated, tested plan that names visitors and tourism operators, with warnings in several languages (The ASEAN Magazine, 'Thailand's Progress 20 Years After the Indian Ocean Tsunami' & ICPADM, 2024). Grade 4/4. Source
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan tested in an exercise or a real event, with lessons published (PMC / Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease, 'How Thailand's tourism industry coped with COVID-19 pandemics: a lesson from the pilot Phuket Tourism Sandbox project', 2022–2024). Grade 4/4. Source
• Government effectiveness: 59.9 World Bank WGI percentile rank, 0–100 (country figure) (World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025). Between 40 and 60: grade 2/4. Source
• Travel advisory: 2 stricter of the US and Canadian government advisory for the country, 1 (normal precautions) to 4 (do not travel) (country figure) (US State Department and Government of Canada travel advisories, 2026-09-29). Between 1 and 2: grade 3/4. Source
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source such as a tourist tax or levy (Bangkok Post, 'Phuket considers tripling hotel tax rate', 2026). Grade 2/4. Source

Compare Phuket

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