Barcelona vs Santiago de Compostela

Santiago de Compostela leads Barcelona by 2 points on the CIRA Index, 67 to 65. Barcelona grades better on 11 measures, Santiago de Compostela on 7; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Barcelona 65, Santiago de Compostela 67
• OECD: Barcelona 65, Santiago de Compostela 65
• UN Tourism: Barcelona 66, Santiago de Compostela 70
• UNDRR: Barcelona 70, Santiago de Compostela 52

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Barcelona 71, Santiago de Compostela 75
• Economy and jobs: Barcelona 58, Santiago de Compostela 83
• Climate and hazards: Barcelona 60, Santiago de Compostela 65
• Water and environment: Barcelona 69, Santiago de Compostela 75
• Community and housing: Barcelona 45, Santiago de Compostela 69
• Access and continuity: Barcelona 75, Santiago de Compostela 52

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.
• 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.
• Flood hazard: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 444.3 kg per resident per year (metro figure) (Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB), 2023). Between 350 and 450: 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.
• Air traffic recovery: 111.9 % of the same 12 months of 2019, airport passengers (Eurostat avia_paoa, 2025-04–2026-03). At or above 110: grade 4/4.
• Rail share of intercity access: 20.2 % of intercity passengers travelling by long-distance rail (rail vs rail + airport) (Ministerio de Transportes, Observatorio del Ferrocarril en España 2024 (rail, by city) and Eurostat avia_paoa (airport), 2024). Between 20 and 35: grade 2/4.
• Largest airline group share: 44.7 % of airport passengers carried by the largest airline group (Aena, detailed traffic statistics (passengers by airline, route and country), Sep 2025 – Aug 2026). Between 40 and 55: grade 1/4.
• Air route concentration: 35.4 % of international air passengers on routes to the 3 largest partner countries (Aena, detailed traffic statistics (passengers by airline, route and country), Sep 2025 – Aug 2026). Between 35 and 50: grade 3/4.
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated city plan with public early warning for heat, flood or fire (Ajuntament de Barcelona - Protecció Civil, 2025–2026). Grade 3/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A written destination crisis plan (Ajuntament de Barcelona - Àrea d'Economia i Promoció Econòmica, 2024–2026). Grade 2/4.

Where Santiago de Compostela is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 47.6 % of nights by residents of the same country (Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) via Concello de Santiago / GaliciaXa, Jan–Jun 2025). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Unemployment rate: 8 % of the labour force (Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Indicadores Urbanos (Edición 2024), 2023). Between 5 and 8: grade 3/4.
• Tropical nights: 1.4 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.
• Water scarcity: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.
• Wastewater safely treated: 90 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (country figure) (INE (Instituto Nacional de Estadística) - Indicadores de la Agenda 2030 para el Desarrollo Sostenible, 2020). Between 85 and 95: grade 3/4.
• Rent growth: 4.6 % change in rents over the last 12 months (Idealista, 'Evolución del precio de los inmuebles en alquiler en Santiago de Compostela', September 2026). Between 3 and 6: grade 3/4.
• Resident support for tourism: 90 % of residents who say tourism benefits them or the city (region figure) (Xunta de Galicia - Axencia Turismo de Galicia, Enquisa de Residentes, 2023). At or above 70: grade 4/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

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

Barcelona in full · Santiago de Compostela in full

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