Brisbane vs Perth

Brisbane leads Perth by 2 points on the CIRA Index, 78 to 76. Brisbane grades better on 6 measures, Perth on 4; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Brisbane 78, Perth 76
• OECD: Brisbane 75, Perth 73
• UN Tourism: Brisbane 83, Perth 79
• UNDRR: Brisbane 74, Perth 65

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Brisbane 75, Perth 90
• Economy and jobs: Brisbane 94, Perth 94
• Climate and hazards: Brisbane 50, Perth 50
• Water and environment: Brisbane 88, Perth 75
• Community and housing: Brisbane 69, Perth 63
• Access and continuity: Brisbane 83, Perth 75

Where Brisbane is stronger

• Unemployment rate: 4 % of the labour force (Jobs and Skills Australia / Australian Bureau of Statistics via economy.id, March 2026). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Extreme heat days: 2.6 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.
• 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.
• Tourism intensity: 39.5 visitor nights per resident per year (Brisbane Economic Development Agency & Australian Bureau of Statistics (via economy.id), 2025). Between 20 and 40: grade 1/4.
• 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 Perth 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.
• Economic diversity: 90.7 % of employment outside accommodation, food, retail and transport (Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Census of Population and Housing / economy.id, 2021). At or above 80: grade 4/4.
• Tropical nights: 43.8 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 30 and 60: grade 2/4.
• Flood hazard: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.

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 · Perth in full

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