Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi, Pakistan, scores 47 on the CIRA Index of tourism resilience, #248 of 309 destinations. 23 of 29 measures come from public sources, with 69% confidence. Every grade below states its value, period and source.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: 47
• OECD: 46
• UN Tourism: 54
• UNDRR: 37

Strongest

• Municipal waste per resident: 116.8 kg per resident per year (ResearchGate / Journal Study on Municipal Solid Waste Management in Rawalpindi City, 2018). At or below 350: grade 4/4.
• Domestic share of nights: 89.3 % of nights by residents of the same country (country figure) (World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) - Pakistan Economic Impact Research, 2023). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Jobs in tourism industries: 1.9 % of employment in accommodation and food services (country figure) (Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Pakistan Labour Force Survey 2020-21, 2020-21). At or below 8: grade 4/4.

Weakest

• Country disaster risk: 6.6 INFORM Risk index, 0–10 (country figure) (INFORM Risk (European Commission JRC), INFORM Risk Mid 2026, 2026). Above 6.5: grade 0/4.
• Income per head: 6,573 GDP per capita, USD PPP (country figure) (World Bank WDI, 2025). Below 15,000: grade 0/4.
• Wastewater safely treated: 0 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (The Express Tribune / World Bank Country Water Resources Assistance Strategy, 2017). Below 50: grade 0/4.

Pakistan in the World Economic Forum Travel & Tourism Development Index

Pakistan is #95 of 110 countries (3.42 of 7) in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026, which scores countries, not cities. Cities in countries with that WEF score average 53 on the CIRA Index; Rawalpindi is 6 below that.

Every measure, by theme

Demand and seasonality: 67

• Nights in the three busiest months: not measured yet
• Domestic share of nights: 89.3 % of nights by residents of the same country (country figure) (World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) - Pakistan Economic Impact Research, 2023). At or above 45: grade 4/4. Source
• Largest foreign market: 36 % of international arrivals or nights (country figure) (Policy Advisory Board of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI), Mapping Pakistan's Tourism Potential, 2023). Between 30 and 40: grade 1/4. Source
• Recovery against 2019: not measured yet
• Average length of stay: 3.1 nights per visitor (country figure) (SMART - SMEs / World Economic Forum TTDI Data Analysis, 2024). Between 2.8 and 3.5: grade 3/4. Source
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: not measured yet

Economy and jobs: 56

• Jobs in tourism industries: 1.9 % of employment in accommodation and food services (country figure) (Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Pakistan Labour Force Survey 2020-21, 2020-21). At or below 8: grade 4/4. Source
• Unemployment rate: 11.8 % of the labour force (region figure) (Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Pakistan Labour Force Survey 2020-21, 2020-21). Between 8 and 12: grade 2/4. Source
• Income per head: 6,573 GDP per capita, USD PPP (country figure) (World Bank WDI, 2025). Below 15,000: grade 0/4. Source
• Economic diversity: 77.5 % of employment outside accommodation, food, retail and transport (country figure) (Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Pakistan Labour Force Survey 2020-21, 2020-21). Between 72 and 80: grade 3/4. Source

Climate and hazards: 25

• Extreme heat days: 59.8 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 30 and 60: grade 1/4. Source
• Tropical nights: 151.2 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: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4. Source
• Wildfire and storm hazard: high (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 1/4. Source
• Country disaster risk: 6.6 INFORM Risk index, 0–10 (country figure) (INFORM Risk (European Commission JRC), INFORM Risk Mid 2026, 2026). Above 6.5: grade 0/4. Source

Water and environment: 44

• Water scarcity: high (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 1/4. Source
• Wastewater safely treated: 0 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (The Express Tribune / World Bank Country Water Resources Assistance Strategy, 2017). Below 50: grade 0/4. Source
• Municipal waste per resident: 116.8 kg per resident per year (ResearchGate / Journal Study on Municipal Solid Waste Management in Rawalpindi City, 2018). At or below 350: grade 4/4. Source
• Green space: 25.2 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (metro figure) (AI Geo Navigators, Urban Heat Island & Urbanization in Islamabad & Rawalpindi, 2020–2024). Between 20 and 30: grade 2/4. Source

Community and housing: 50

• Tourism intensity: not measured yet
• Cruise pressure: not measured yet
• Rent growth: 6.1 % change in rents over the last 12 months (country figure) (PACRA (Pakistan Credit Rating Agency) citing Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), 3QFY26). Between 6 and 10: grade 2/4. Source
• Short-let density: not measured yet
• Resident support for tourism: not measured yet

Access and continuity: 38

• Access redundancy: 3 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Logistics Cluster (WFP) & Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, 2024–2026). Between 3 and 4: grade 3/4. 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 city plan with public early warning for heat, flood or fire (Pakistan Today / Rawalpindi Divisional Administration, 2026). Grade 3/4. Source
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: No tourism crisis or recovery plan found (Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab (TDCP) / Punjab Planning & Development Board, 2025–2026). Grade 0/4. Source
• Government effectiveness: 25.5 World Bank WGI percentile rank, 0–100 (country figure) (World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025). Between 20 and 40: grade 1/4. Source
• Travel advisory: 3 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 2.5 and 3: grade 1/4. Source
• Dedicated tourism funding: A promotion budget that depends each year on the general budget (Finance Department, Government of Punjab - Annual Budget Estimates, 2025–2026). Grade 1/4. Source

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