Addis Ababa vs Lilongwe

Lilongwe leads Addis Ababa by 1 points on the CIRA Index, 54 to 53. Addis Ababa grades better on 7 measures, Lilongwe on 5; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Addis Ababa 53, Lilongwe 54
• OECD: Addis Ababa 56, Lilongwe 52
• UN Tourism: Addis Ababa 54, Lilongwe 54
• UNDRR: Addis Ababa 42, Lilongwe 43

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Addis Ababa 90, Lilongwe 60
• Economy and jobs: Addis Ababa 0, Lilongwe 42
• Climate and hazards: Addis Ababa 60, Lilongwe 65
• Water and environment: Addis Ababa 69, Lilongwe 69
• Community and housing: Addis Ababa 25, Lilongwe 50
• Access and continuity: Addis Ababa 33, Lilongwe 33

Where Addis Ababa is stronger

• Recovery against 2019: 155.3 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (country figure) (Project Green Tourism Consultancy, Ethiopian Tourism Sector Review (2015–2024) / Ministry of Tourism, 2024). At or above 110: grade 4/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 67 % average annual occupancy (Ethiopian Business Review / Addis Ababa Hotel Owners Association (AHA), 2019). Between 65 and 75: grade 3/4.
• Tropical nights: 0 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.
• Water scarcity: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.
• Rent growth: 11.5 % change in rents over the last 12 months (Addis Ababa City Housing Development and Administration Bureau / Addis Fortune, 2026/2027). Between 10 and 15: grade 1/4.
• Access redundancy: 3 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Ethiopian Airlines & Ethio-Djibouti Railway & Ethiopian Toll Roads Enterprise, 2026). Between 3 and 4: grade 3/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: Crisis communication only, ad hoc (Addis Fortune, 2025-2026). Grade 1/4.

Where Lilongwe is stronger

• Unemployment rate: 16 % of the labour force (Lilongwe City Council Strategic Plan 2021-2025 (cited in UN-Habitat / Lilongwe CityRAP Report), 2021-2025). Between 12 and 18: grade 1/4.
• Country disaster risk: 4.7 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.
• Green space: 48 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (PLOS ONE / ResearchGate, 'The spatial heterogeneity of urban green space distribution and configuration in Lilongwe City, Malawi', 2023). At or above 40: grade 4/4.
• 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.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source such as a tourist tax or levy (Malawi Department of Tourism / Malawi Laws, 2024–2025). Grade 2/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Malawi: #107 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Addis Ababa in full · Lilongwe in full

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