Athens vs Bilbao

Bilbao leads Athens by 1 points on the CIRA Index, 64 to 63. Athens grades better on 6 measures, Bilbao on 12; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Athens 63, Bilbao 64
• OECD: Athens 58, Bilbao 63
• UN Tourism: Athens 62, Bilbao 63
• UNDRR: Athens 60, Bilbao 57

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Athens 67, Bilbao 71
• Economy and jobs: Athens 56, Bilbao 75
• Climate and hazards: Athens 40, Bilbao 65
• Water and environment: Athens 50, Bilbao 63
• Community and housing: Athens 63, Bilbao 69
• Access and continuity: Athens 79, Bilbao 55

Where Athens is stronger

• Largest foreign market: 13.8 % of international arrivals or nights (country figure) (Bank of Greece / INSETE Intelligence, Annual Tourism Report, 2023). At or below 15: grade 4/4.
• Average length of stay: 5.4 nights per visitor (region figure) (Bank of Greece, Developments in the balance of travel services: 2024, 2024). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 77.1 % average annual occupancy (Athens-Attica & Argosaronic Hotel Association (EXAAA) & GBR Consulting via GTP Headlines, 2025). At or above 75: grade 4/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A written destination crisis plan (UN Tourism (UNWTO) & European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), 2023). Grade 2/4.
• Travel advisory: 1 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). At or below 1: grade 4/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source partly ring-fenced for residents, infrastructure or sustainability (Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) / Greek Law 5073/2023 & Law 5162/2024, 2024-2026). Grade 3/4.

Where Bilbao is stronger

• Nights in the three busiest months: 33.3 % of annual nights (country figure) (World Economic Forum, TTDI 2026 (data: UN Tourism by United Nations World Tourism Organization), 2024, 2025 moving average). Between 30 and 35: grade 3/4.
• Domestic share of nights: 47.3 % of nights by residents of the same country (Ayuntamiento de Bilbao / Bilbao Ekintza, 'Bilbao destino urbano internacional de referencia con turismo sostenible y equilibrado', Jan–Nov 2025). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Jobs in tourism industries: 7.1 % of employment in accommodation and food services (country figure) (World Economic Forum, TTDI 2026 (data: Travel & Tourism Economic Impact Research by World Travel & Tourism Council; Travel & Tourism by World Travel & Tourism Council), 2026). At or below 8: grade 4/4.
• Income per head: 59,868 GDP per capita, USD PPP (country figure) (World Bank WDI, 2025). Between 45,000 and 60,000: grade 3/4.
• Extreme heat days: 5.2 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.
• Tropical nights: 6.6 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.
• Flood hazard: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.
• Water scarcity: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.
• Wastewater safely treated: 81.2 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (country figure) (World Economic Forum, TTDI 2026 (data: SDG Indicators Database by United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs), 2024). Between 70 and 85: grade 2/4.
• Tourism intensity: 7.8 visitor nights per resident per year (Ayuntamiento de Bilbao (Europa Press) & Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), 2025). Between 5 and 10: grade 3/4.
• Short-let density: 0.8 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (INE via Crónica Vasca / Dataestur, May 2026). Between 0.5 and 1: grade 3/4.
• Government effectiveness: 83 World Bank WGI percentile rank, 0–100 (country figure) (World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025). At or above 80: grade 4/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Greece: #21 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Spain: #3 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Athens in full · Bilbao in full

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