Alexandria vs Hurghada

Hurghada leads Alexandria by 11 points on the CIRA Index, 59 to 48. Alexandria grades better on 5 measures, Hurghada on 3; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Alexandria 48, Hurghada 59
• OECD: Alexandria 54, Hurghada 62
• UN Tourism: Alexandria 53, Hurghada 56
• UNDRR: Alexandria 47, Hurghada 59

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Alexandria 79, Hurghada 85
• Economy and jobs: Alexandria 67, Hurghada 69
• Climate and hazards: Alexandria 30, Hurghada 50
• Water and environment: Alexandria 31, Hurghada 33
• Community and housing: Alexandria 25, Hurghada –
• Access and continuity: Alexandria 63, Hurghada 58

Where Alexandria is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 66 % of nights by residents of the same country (RoAid (Romanian Agency for International Development Cooperation) & Alexandria Governorate - Impact Study 2019 Phase-1 of Tourism Development for the city of Alexandria-Egypt (Alex-Smart), 2019). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Largest foreign market: 10 % of international arrivals or nights (country figure) (Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities / Egyptian Cabinet, 2024). At or below 15: grade 4/4.
• Extreme heat days: 8.8 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 5 and 15: grade 3/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 438 kg per resident per year (ResearchGate / Journal Study on Municipal Waste Management in Alexandria City, Egypt, 2022). Between 350 and 450: grade 3/4.
• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Encyclopaedia Britannica & Alexandria Port Authority, 2026). At or above 4: grade 4/4.

Where Hurghada is stronger

• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 75 % average annual occupancy (Mordor Intelligence - Egypt Hospitality Market Size & Share Analysis, December 2024). At or above 75: grade 4/4.
• Flood hazard: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.
• Wildfire and storm hazard: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Egypt: #63 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Egypt: #63 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Alexandria in full · Hurghada in full

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