Chengdu vs Shenzhen
Shenzhen leads Chengdu by 2 points on the CIRA Index, 72 to 70. Chengdu grades better on 6 measures, Shenzhen on 5; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.
Scores by each organisation's criteria
- CIRA Index: Chengdu 70, Shenzhen 72
- OECD: Chengdu 64, Shenzhen 64
- UN Tourism: Chengdu 81, Shenzhen 73
- UNDRR: Chengdu 64, Shenzhen 61
Theme by theme
- Demand and seasonality: Chengdu 58, Shenzhen 55
- Economy and jobs: Chengdu 75, Shenzhen 92
- Climate and hazards: Chengdu 40, Shenzhen 45
- Water and environment: Chengdu 94, Shenzhen 69
- Community and housing: Chengdu 100, Shenzhen 100
- Access and continuity: Chengdu 63, Shenzhen 63
Where Chengdu is stronger
- Largest foreign market: 15 % of international arrivals or nights (Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Statistics, Chengdu Statistical Yearbook 2025, 2024). Between 15 and 20: grade 3/4.
- 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.
- Wastewater safely treated: 95 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Statistics, 2023 Statistical Bulletin on National Economic and Social Development of Chengdu, 2023). At or above 95: grade 4/4.
- Municipal waste per resident: 332.5 kg per resident per year (Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Statistics, 2023 Statistical Bulletin on National Economic and Social Development of Chengdu & 2023 Chengdu Population Bulletin, 2023). At or below 350: grade 4/4.
- Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A written destination crisis plan (Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Culture, Broadcast, Film and Tourism, 2024). Grade 2/4.
Where Shenzhen is stronger
- Recovery against 2019: 133.1 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Statistics, 深圳市2025年国民经济和社会发展统计公报, 2025). At or above 110: grade 4/4.
- Hotel bed or room occupancy: 59.2 % average annual occupancy (深圳市罗湖区统计局 (Luohu District Statistics Bureau, Shenzhen), 深圳市罗湖区2025年国民经济和社会发展统计公报, 2025). Between 55 and 65: grade 2/4.
- Income per head: 51,687 GDP per capita, USD PPP (Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Statistics, Statistical Communiqué of Shenzhen on the 2024 National Economic and Social Development; World Bank International Comparison Program (WDI), 2024). Between 45,000 and 60,000: grade 3/4.
- Extreme heat days: 2.2 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.
- Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Shenzhen Government Online, 2024). At or above 4: grade 4/4.
Country context (World Economic Forum)
- China: #8 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
- China: #8 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
Chengdu in full · Shenzhen in full
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