Barcelona vs Frankfurt

Barcelona and Frankfurt are level on the CIRA Index at 65. Barcelona grades better on 9 measures, Frankfurt on 8; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Barcelona 65, Frankfurt 65
• OECD: Barcelona 65, Frankfurt 67
• UN Tourism: Barcelona 66, Frankfurt 73
• UNDRR: Barcelona 70, Frankfurt 58

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Barcelona 71, Frankfurt 58
• Economy and jobs: Barcelona 58, Frankfurt 83
• Climate and hazards: Barcelona 60, Frankfurt 65
• Water and environment: Barcelona 69, Frankfurt 81
• Community and housing: Barcelona 45, Frankfurt 69
• Access and continuity: Barcelona 75, Frankfurt 63

Where Barcelona is stronger

• Nights in the three busiest months: 29.8 % of annual nights (INE (Instituto Nacional de Estadística) / Idescat, Encuesta de Ocupación Hotelera, 2024). At or below 30: grade 4/4.
• Largest foreign market: 12 % of international arrivals or nights (INE, foreign tourists by municipality and country of residence (mobile-phone positioning, table 52048), 2025). At or below 15: grade 4/4.
• Average length of stay: 2.6 nights per visitor (Observatori del Turisme a Barcelona: ciutat i regió (OTB) / UN Tourism INSTO, 2023 Progress Report, 2023). Between 2.2 and 2.8: grade 2/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 80.1 % average annual occupancy (Gremi d'Hotels de Barcelona, Valoració tancament any 2025 i perspectives 2026, 2025). At or above 75: grade 4/4.
• Flood hazard: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Water scarcity: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Port de Barcelona / Aena / Renfe / Mitma, 2026). At or above 4: grade 4/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A written destination crisis plan (Ajuntament de Barcelona - Àrea d'Economia i Promoció Econòmica, 2024–2026). Grade 2/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source partly ring-fenced for residents, infrastructure or sustainability (Generalitat de Catalunya / Ajuntament de Barcelona (Llei 2/2026; Fons de Foment del Turisme), 2026). Grade 3/4.

Where Frankfurt is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 60.3 % of nights by residents of the same country (Tourismus+Congress GmbH Frankfurt am Main (TCF), 2024). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Unemployment rate: 6.9 % of the labour force (Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit, Strukturdaten der Agentur für Arbeit Frankfurt am Main, 2025). Between 5 and 8: grade 3/4.
• Income per head: 75,407 GDP per capita, USD PPP (country figure) (World Bank WDI, 2025). At or above 60,000: grade 4/4.
• Tropical nights: 3.8 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.
• Wastewater safely treated: 99.9 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (Hessisches Statistisches Landesamt & Stadtentwässerung Frankfurt am Main, 2022). At or above 95: grade 4/4.
• Green space: 52 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (Stadt Frankfurt am Main, Bürgeramt, Statistik und Wahlen - frankfurt STATISTIK.PORTAL, 2023). At or above 40: grade 4/4.
• Rent growth: 3.8 % change in rents over the last 12 months (ImmoScout24, Mietspiegel Frankfurt am Main 2026, Q2 2025–Q2 2026). Between 3 and 6: grade 3/4.
• Short-let density: 0.2 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (AirDNA & Stadt Frankfurt am Main (Bürgeramt, Statistik und Wahlen), 2024–2026). At or below 0.5: grade 4/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Spain: #3 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Germany: #6 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Barcelona in full · Frankfurt in full

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