Bamako vs Kampala

Bamako and Kampala are level on the CIRA Index at 40. Bamako grades better on 5 measures, Kampala on 10; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Bamako 40, Kampala 40
• OECD: Bamako 37, Kampala 53
• UN Tourism: Bamako 50, Kampala 47
• UNDRR: Bamako 29, Kampala 43

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Bamako 38, Kampala 65
• Economy and jobs: Bamako 58, Kampala 13
• Climate and hazards: Bamako 10, Kampala 55
• Water and environment: Bamako 44, Kampala 44
• Community and housing: Bamako 100, Kampala 100
• Access and continuity: Bamako 21, Kampala 29

Where Bamako is stronger

• Recovery against 2019: 243.2 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (country figure) (Institut National de la Statistique (INSTAT) Mali / Direction Nationale du Tourisme et de l'Hôtellerie (DNTH), Annuaire statistique national du Mali 2021, 2021). At or above 110: grade 4/4.
• Unemployment rate: 5.7 % of the labour force (country figure) (Institut National de la Statistique (INSTAT) Mali, Enquête Modulaire et Permanente auprès des Ménages (EMOP), 2025). Between 5 and 8: grade 3/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 98.6 kg per resident per year (European Scientific Journal (ESJ) / Bah, Oumar: 'Caractérisation des déchets solides ménagers de Faladié', 2021). At or below 350: grade 4/4.
• Access redundancy: 2 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Wikipedia / Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Mali, 2024). Between 2 and 3: grade 2/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source such as a tourist tax or levy (Journal Officiel de la République du Mali / FAOLEX, 2023). Grade 2/4.

Where Kampala is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 62.4 % of nights by residents of the same country (country figure) (Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) and Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities (MTWA), Uganda Tourism Satellite Account Report 2025, 2023). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Average length of stay: 8.7 nights per visitor (country figure) (Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities (MTWA) - Tourism Trends and Statistics Report 2024 / Statistical Abstract 2025, 2024). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 68.3 % average annual occupancy (Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities (MTWA) - Statistical Abstract 2025, Jan–Sep 2024). Between 65 and 75: grade 3/4.
• Extreme heat days: 0 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Tropical nights: 8.2 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.
• Flood hazard: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.
• Water scarcity: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated city plan with public early warning for heat, flood or fire (Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) & Envirospatio, 2024–2025). Grade 3/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: Crisis communication only, ad hoc (Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities (MTWA), 2024–2026). Grade 1/4.
• Government effectiveness: 34.4 World Bank WGI percentile rank, 0–100 (country figure) (World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025). Between 20 and 40: grade 1/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

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

Bamako in full · Kampala in full

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