Brisbane vs Canberra

Brisbane leads Canberra by 7 points on the CIRA Index, 78 to 71. Brisbane grades better on 8 measures, Canberra on 6; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Brisbane 78, Canberra 71
• OECD: Brisbane 75, Canberra 73
• UN Tourism: Brisbane 83, Canberra 73
• UNDRR: Brisbane 74, Canberra 69

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Brisbane 75, Canberra 75
• Economy and jobs: Brisbane 94, Canberra 100
• Climate and hazards: Brisbane 50, Canberra 75
• Water and environment: Brisbane 88, Canberra 75
• Community and housing: Brisbane 69, Canberra 50
• Access and continuity: Brisbane 83, Canberra 67

Where Brisbane is stronger

• Recovery against 2019: 100 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (region figure) (Tourism and Events Queensland, Brisbane Regional Snapshot, year ending June 2024). Between 100 and 110: grade 3/4.
• Average length of stay: 5.7 nights per visitor (region figure) (Brisbane Economic Development Agency / Tourism Research Australia, 2024). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 81 % average annual occupancy (CoStar / STR, Brisbane hotels posted record-high room rates in July, July 2025). At or above 75: grade 4/4.
• Green space: 44 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (Greens Councillor for Paddington Ward / Brisbane City Council data citation, 2024). At or above 40: grade 4/4.
• Short-let density: 0.5 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (metro figure) (AirROI and Australian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census), August 2025 – July 2026). At or below 0.5: grade 4/4.
• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Brisbane City Council & Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, 2024). At or above 4: grade 4/4.
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated, tested plan that names visitors and tourism operators, with warnings in several languages (Brisbane City Council, Local Disaster Management Plan & Brisbane Severe Weather Alert Service, 2024). Grade 4/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan with named owners, operators and recovery funding (Queensland Government Department of Tourism and Sport & Tourism and Events Queensland, 2024). Grade 3/4.

Where Canberra is stronger

• Nights in the three busiest months: 30.4 % of annual nights (country figure) (World Economic Forum, TTDI 2026 (data: UN Tourism by United Nations World Tourism Organization), 2024, 2025 moving average). Between 30 and 35: grade 3/4.
• Largest foreign market: 14 % of international arrivals or nights (region figure) (ACT Government / VisitCanberra (Tourism Research Australia International Visitor Survey), YE March 2023). At or below 15: grade 4/4.
• Economic diversity: 80.2 % of employment outside accommodation, food, retail and transport (region figure) (id.community / Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Canberra Region Joint Organisation (CRJO) Industry Sector of Employment, 2024). At or above 80: grade 4/4.
• Tropical nights: 0 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: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Rent growth: 3.2 % change in rents over the last 12 months (CoreLogic / Cotality via OpenAgent, 12 months to August 2026). Between 3 and 6: grade 3/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Australia: #4 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Australia: #4 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Brisbane in full · Canberra in full

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