Cancún vs Phoenix

Cancún leads Phoenix by 3 points on the CIRA Index, 66 to 63. Cancún grades better on 6 measures, Phoenix on 8; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Cancún 66, Phoenix 63
• OECD: Cancún 61, Phoenix 61
• UN Tourism: Cancún 62, Phoenix 67
• UNDRR: Cancún 70, Phoenix 57

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Cancún 75, Phoenix 70
• Economy and jobs: Cancún 42, Phoenix 75
• Climate and hazards: Cancún 45, Phoenix 25
• Water and environment: Cancún 44, Phoenix 58
• Community and housing: Cancún 75, Phoenix 88
• Access and continuity: Cancún 83, Phoenix 75

Where Cancún is stronger

• Largest foreign market: 35.2 % of international arrivals or nights (region figure) (Secretaría de Turismo del Estado de Quintana Roo (SEDETUR) & CPTQ, ¿Cómo vamos en turismo?, 2023). Between 30 and 40: grade 1/4.
• Extreme heat days: 0 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: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.
• Water scarcity: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Secretaría de Infraestructura, Comunicaciones y Transportes (SICT) / Tren Maya / ASUR, 2024). At or above 4: grade 4/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan tested in an exercise or a real event, with lessons published (Gobierno del Estado de Quintana Roo / SEDETUR, 2024). Grade 4/4.

Where Phoenix is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 88.4 % of nights by residents of the same country (region figure) (Arizona Office of Tourism / Northern Arizona Industry Forecast, 2025). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Jobs in tourism industries: 12.1 % of employment in accommodation and food services (metro figure) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics, 2024). Between 12 and 16: grade 2/4.
• Income per head: 90,027 GDP per capita, USD PPP (country figure) (World Bank WDI, 2025). At or above 60,000: grade 4/4.
• Country disaster risk: 3.3 INFORM Risk index, 0–10 (country figure) (INFORM Risk (European Commission JRC), INFORM Risk Mid 2026, 2026). Between 2 and 3.5: grade 3/4.
• Wastewater safely treated: 98 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (City of Phoenix Water Services Department via 12News, 2024). At or above 95: grade 4/4.
• Rent growth: -2.9 % change in rents over the last 12 months (Apartment List, Phoenix, AZ Rent Report (October 2026), October 2025 – September 2026). At or below 3: grade 4/4.
• Government effectiveness: 84 World Bank WGI percentile rank, 0–100 (country figure) (World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025). At or above 80: grade 4/4.
• Travel advisory: 1 stricter of the US and Canadian government advisory for the country, 1 (normal precautions) to 4 (do not travel) (country figure) (US State Department and Government of Canada travel advisories, 2026-09-29). At or below 1: grade 4/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Mexico: #41 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• United States: #2 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Cancún in full · Phoenix in full

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