A Coruña vs San Sebastián

A Coruña leads San Sebastián by 2 points on the CIRA Index, 66 to 64. A Coruña grades better on 11 measures, San Sebastián on 6; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: A Coruña 66, San Sebastián 64
• OECD: A Coruña 68, San Sebastián 61
• UN Tourism: A Coruña 66, San Sebastián 67
• UNDRR: A Coruña 54, San Sebastián 56

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: A Coruña 75, San Sebastián 58
• Economy and jobs: A Coruña 81, San Sebastián 83
• Climate and hazards: A Coruña 65, San Sebastián 60
• Water and environment: A Coruña 58, San Sebastián 75
• Community and housing: A Coruña 80, San Sebastián 65
• Access and continuity: A Coruña 56, San Sebastián 53

Where A Coruña is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 75.6 % of nights by residents of the same country (INE (Instituto Nacional de Estadística) via El Español, 2025). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Largest foreign market: 15.3 % of international arrivals or nights (INE, foreign tourists by municipality and country of residence (mobile-phone positioning, table 52048), 2025). Between 15 and 20: grade 3/4.
• Average length of stay: 2.4 nights per visitor (INE (Instituto Nacional de Estadística) via EpData, August 2026). Between 2.2 and 2.8: grade 2/4.
• Tropical nights: 2.2 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). At or below 10: grade 4/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 421 kg per resident per year (El Ideal Gallego / Ministerio de Hacienda (Costes efectivos de los servicios de las entidades locales), 2022). Between 350 and 450: grade 3/4.
• Tourism intensity: 4.4 visitor nights per resident per year (INE (Coyuntura Turística Hotelera and Padrón Municipal), 2025). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Short-let density: 0.5 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), reported by La Opinión A Coruña, May 2025). Between 0.5 and 1: grade 3/4.
• Resident support for tourism: 90 % of residents who say tourism benefits them or the city (region figure) (Xunta de Galicia, “Rueda destaca la hospitalidad como uno de los principales valores del turismo gallego” [web:18], Reference year not stated; the latest survey is cited in a release dated 2025-01-22). At or above 70: grade 4/4.
• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (spain.info / Concello da Coruña, 2026). At or above 4: grade 4/4.
• Largest airline group share: 53.2 % of airport passengers carried by the largest airline group (Aena, detailed traffic statistics (passengers by airline, route and country), Sep 2025 – Aug 2026). Between 40 and 55: grade 1/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source partly ring-fenced for residents, infrastructure or sustainability (Sede Electrónica del Concello da Coruña / Hosteltur, 2025–2026). Grade 3/4.

Where San Sebastián is stronger

• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 74.3 % average annual occupancy (ADEGI / Eustat, Informe de Evolución del Turismo en establecimientos hoteleros de Gipuzkoa. Año 2024, 2024). Between 65 and 75: grade 3/4.
• Wastewater safely treated: 100 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (metro figure) (Mancomunidad de Aguas del Añarbe / Añarbeko Urak, 2024). At or above 95: grade 4/4.
• Cruise pressure: 0 cruise passengers in the busiest month per resident (Puertos del Estado, monthly port traffic summaries ("Cuadros resumen", cruise passengers incl. home port and transit), 2025-06). At or below 0: grade 4/4.
• Air traffic recovery: 145.6 % of the same 12 months of 2019, airport passengers (Eurostat avia_paoa, 2025-04–2026-03). At or above 110: grade 4/4.
• Rail share of intercity access: 34.1 % of intercity passengers travelling by long-distance rail (rail vs rail + airport) (Ministerio de Transportes, Observatorio del Ferrocarril en España 2024 (rail, by city) and Eurostat avia_paoa (airport), 2024). Between 20 and 35: grade 2/4.
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated city plan with public early warning for heat, flood or fire (Donostiako Udala (Ayuntamiento de Donostia / San Sebastián), 'Plan de Emergencia Municipal' & 'Plan Municipal frente a incendios forestales en Igeldo', 2023–2026). Grade 3/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Spain: #3 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Spain: #3 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

A Coruña in full · San Sebastián in full

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