Busan vs Singapore

Busan leads Singapore by 1 points on the CIRA Index, 86 to 85. Busan grades better on 5 measures, Singapore on 5; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Busan 86, Singapore 85
• OECD: Busan 81, Singapore 82
• UN Tourism: Busan 90, Singapore 92
• UNDRR: Busan 76, Singapore 81

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Busan 88, Singapore 75
• Economy and jobs: Busan 92, Singapore 94
• Climate and hazards: Busan 60, Singapore 55
• Water and environment: Busan 94, Singapore 100
• Community and housing: Busan 100, Singapore 94
• Access and continuity: Busan 79, Singapore 92

Where Busan is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 49.4 % 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). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Recovery against 2019: 109.3 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (Busan Metropolitan Government / Breeze in Flow, 2024). Between 100 and 110: grade 3/4.
• Average length of stay: 6 nights per visitor (Busan Metropolitan City (reported by The Korea Times), 2024). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4.
• Tropical nights: 86.4 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 60 and 100: grade 1/4.
• Flood hazard: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.

Where Singapore is stronger

• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 81.8 % average annual occupancy (Singapore Tourism Board, Singapore Achieves Historical High in Tourism Receipts in 2024, 2024). At or above 75: grade 4/4.
• Income per head: 163,354 GDP per capita, USD PPP (World Bank WDI, 2025). At or above 60,000: grade 4/4.
• Wildfire and storm hazard: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan tested in an exercise or a real event, with lessons published (Singapore Tourism Board (STB), 2024–2026). Grade 4/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source such as a tourist tax or levy (Ministry of Trade and Industry / The Straits Times, 2026–2030). Grade 2/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• South Korea: #12 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Singapore: #13 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Busan in full · Singapore in full

The CIRA Index ranking · City vs city · How the index works · CIRA Studio · Put your city in the pilot