Canberra vs Melbourne

Canberra leads Melbourne by 1 points on the CIRA Index, 71 to 70. Canberra grades better on 8 measures, Melbourne on 4; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Canberra 71, Melbourne 70
• OECD: Canberra 73, Melbourne 69
• UN Tourism: Canberra 73, Melbourne 71
• UNDRR: Canberra 69, Melbourne 69

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Canberra 75, Melbourne 70
• Economy and jobs: Canberra 100, Melbourne 100
• Climate and hazards: Canberra 75, Melbourne 60
• Water and environment: Canberra 75, Melbourne 63
• Community and housing: Canberra 50, Melbourne 25
• Access and continuity: Canberra 67, Melbourne 88

Where Canberra is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 72.9 % of nights by residents of the same country (region figure) (ACT Government / VisitCanberra (Tourism Research Australia National & International Visitor Surveys), YE March 2023). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• 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.
• Extreme heat days: 0.8 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.
• Flood hazard: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Water scarcity: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.
• Green space: 21.8 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services - Tree canopy cover, 2025). Between 20 and 30: grade 2/4.
• Tourism intensity: 27.6 visitor nights per resident per year (region figure) (ACT Government (Canberra.com.au) & Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2024). Between 20 and 40: grade 1/4.
• Short-let density: 1.2 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (AirDNA via The Canberra Times / BNBCalc and Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census, May 2026). Between 1 and 2: grade 2/4.

Where Melbourne is stronger

• Average length of stay: 15.2 nights per visitor (Tourism Research Australia via City of Melbourne / id.economy, 2024/25). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4.
• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (metro figure) (Infrastructure Victoria / City of Melbourne, 2024). At or above 4: grade 4/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan with named owners, operators and recovery funding (Victoria State Government, Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions, 'Visitor Economy Recovery and Reform Plan', 2021–2024). Grade 3/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source partly ring-fenced for residents, infrastructure or sustainability (State Revenue Office Victoria, Short Stay Levy Act 2024, 2025). 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

Canberra in full · Melbourne in full

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