Chongqing vs Zhengzhou

Chongqing leads Zhengzhou by 7 points on the CIRA Index, 68 to 61. Chongqing grades better on 6 measures, Zhengzhou on 2; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Chongqing 68, Zhengzhou 61
• OECD: Chongqing 65, Zhengzhou 60
• UN Tourism: Chongqing 79, Zhengzhou 74
• UNDRR: Chongqing 63, Zhengzhou 55

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Chongqing 63, Zhengzhou 50
• Economy and jobs: Chongqing 67, Zhengzhou 83
• Climate and hazards: Chongqing 40, Zhengzhou 30
• Water and environment: Chongqing 88, Zhengzhou 81
• Community and housing: Chongqing 100, Zhengzhou 92
• Access and continuity: Chongqing 63, Zhengzhou 58

Where Chongqing is stronger

• Nights in the three busiest months: 34.7 % of annual nights (Chongqing Municipal Culture and Tourism Development Commission, compiled via CQNews and Chongqing Annual Tourism Statistics, 2024). Between 30 and 35: grade 3/4.
• Largest foreign market: 16 % of international arrivals or nights (Sina Finance / Haina Caijing (reporting official inbound tourism monitoring data), H1 2024). Between 15 and 20: grade 3/4.
• Flood hazard: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Water scarcity: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.
• Tourism intensity: 3.2 visitor nights per resident per year (Chongqing Municipal Bureau of Statistics, 'Statistical Communiqué of Chongqing Municipality on the 2023 National Economic and Social Development', 2023). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Chongqing Municipal People's Government & CAAC, 2025–2026). At or above 4: grade 4/4.

Where Zhengzhou is stronger

• Unemployment rate: 4.6 % of the labour force (country figure) (World Bank WDI, 2025). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Income per head: 32,908 GDP per capita, USD PPP (Zhengzhou Municipal Bureau of Statistics & NBS, (河南省)2025年郑州市国民经济和社会发展统计公报; World Bank WDI, 2025). Between 30,000 and 45,000: grade 2/4.

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

Chongqing in full · Zhengzhou in full

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