Bangkok vs Mecca

Bangkok and Mecca are level on the CIRA Index at 60. Bangkok grades better on 9 measures, Mecca on 9; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Bangkok 60, Mecca 60
• OECD: Bangkok 57, Mecca 66
• UN Tourism: Bangkok 63, Mecca 64
• UNDRR: Bangkok 61, Mecca 69

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Bangkok 70, Mecca 80
• Economy and jobs: Bangkok 56, Mecca 75
• Climate and hazards: Bangkok 25, Mecca 40
• Water and environment: Bangkok 50, Mecca 50
• Community and housing: Bangkok 75, Mecca 75
• Access and continuity: Bangkok 75, Mecca 71

Where Bangkok is stronger

• Nights in the three busiest months: 29.7 % of annual nights (country figure) (World Economic Forum, TTDI 2026 (data: UN Tourism by United Nations World Tourism Organization), 2024, 2025 moving average). At or below 30: grade 4/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 78.8 % average annual occupancy (National Statistical Office of Thailand / Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Statistical Yearbook Thailand 2025 (Table 17.1), 2024). At or above 75: grade 4/4.
• Unemployment rate: 0.9 % of the labour force (Bank of Thailand / National Statistical Office Thailand, Table EC_RL_009_S4_BK Labour Force Survey (New Series ISIC Rev.4) in Bangkok, December 2024). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Extreme heat days: 32.4 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 30 and 60: grade 1/4.
• Water scarcity: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 394.2 kg per resident per year (Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) Environment Department via The Circulate Initiative Circularity Assessment Protocol, 2023). Between 350 and 450: grade 3/4.
• Green space: 31 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (Husqvarna Urban Green Space Index (HUGSI), 2024). Between 30 and 40: grade 3/4.
• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Bangkok Port (Port Authority of Thailand) & State Railway of Thailand, 2026). At or above 4: 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.

Where Mecca is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 43.3 % of nights by residents of the same country (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). Between 35 and 45: grade 3/4.
• Largest foreign market: 10.8 % of international arrivals or nights (country figure) (Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, Annual Statistical Report 2024 (via Arab News / Sharikat Mubasher), 2024). At or below 15: grade 4/4.
• Average length of stay: 4.4 nights per visitor (region figure) (General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Tourism Establishments Statistics Q4 2025, Q4 2025). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4.
• Income per head: 73,784 GDP per capita, USD PPP (country figure) (World Bank WDI, 2025). At or above 60,000: grade 4/4.
• Wildfire and storm hazard: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.
• Country disaster risk: 3.1 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: 100 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (UN-Habitat & Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs (MoMRA), Future Saudi Cities Programme - CPI Profile Makkah, 2017). At or above 95: grade 4/4.
• Government effectiveness: 71.7 World Bank WGI percentile rank, 0–100 (country figure) (World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025). Between 60 and 80: grade 3/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source partly ring-fenced for residents, infrastructure or sustainability (Saudi Tourism Development Fund (TDF) / Saudi Ministry of Tourism, 2020-2026). Grade 3/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Thailand: #38 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Saudi Arabia: #29 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Bangkok in full · Mecca in full

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