Baku vs Jerusalem

Baku and Jerusalem are level on the CIRA Index at 60. Baku grades better on 6 measures, Jerusalem on 12; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Baku 60, Jerusalem 60
• OECD: Baku 55, Jerusalem 66
• UN Tourism: Baku 60, Jerusalem 64
• UNDRR: Baku 43, Jerusalem 73

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Baku 65, Jerusalem 54
• Economy and jobs: Baku 69, Jerusalem 92
• Climate and hazards: Baku 40, Jerusalem 60
• Water and environment: Baku 50, Jerusalem 56
• Community and housing: Baku 75, Jerusalem 83
• Access and continuity: Baku 42, Jerusalem 63

Where Baku is stronger

• Largest foreign market: 13.6 % of international arrivals or nights (country figure) (State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Activities of hotels and similar establishments in 2025, 2025). At or below 15: grade 4/4.
• Recovery against 2019: 118.6 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 'Activities of hotels and similar establishments in 2025' and 'Tourism in Azerbaijan', 2025). At or above 110: grade 4/4.
• Extreme heat days: 8.6 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.
• Water scarcity: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 297.2 kg per resident per year (country figure) (State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan via ResearchGate, 2024). At or below 350: grade 4/4.
• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (State Maritime and Port Agency of Azerbaijan & Azerbaijan Railways (ADY), 2026). At or above 4: grade 4/4.

Where Jerusalem is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 77 % of nights by residents of the same country (Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research & Central Bureau of Statistics, Statistical Yearbook of Jerusalem, Table XI/4, 2024). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Unemployment rate: 4.1 % of the labour force (region figure) (Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Labour Force Survey, May 2026). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Income per head: 59,717 GDP per capita, USD PPP (country figure) (World Bank WDI, 2025). Between 45,000 and 60,000: grade 3/4.
• Tropical nights: 51.4 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 30 and 60: grade 2/4.
• Flood hazard: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.
• Country disaster risk: 3.3 INFORM Risk index, 0–10 (country figure) (INFORM Risk (European Commission JRC), INFORM Risk Mid 2026, 2026). Between 2 and 3.5: grade 3/4.
• Wastewater safely treated: 98 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (country figure) (UN-Habitat & WHO, Progress on Wastewater Treatment: SDG 6.3.1, 2020). At or above 95: grade 4/4.
• Green space: 25 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research, Shading of Urban Public Spaces, 2022). Between 20 and 30: grade 2/4.
• Rent growth: 3.3 % change in rents over the last 12 months (Israel Central Bureau of Statistics via Ynet News, Q1 2025 to Q1 2026). Between 3 and 6: grade 3/4.
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated, tested plan that names visitors and tourism operators, with warnings in several languages (Jerusalem Municipality, Emergencies and Security Division, 2026). Grade 4/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan with named owners, operators and recovery funding (Israel Ministry of Tourism (Gov.il), 2025-2026). Grade 3/4.
• Government effectiveness: 84.4 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)

• Azerbaijan: #58 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Israel: #50 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Baku in full · Jerusalem in full

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