Daegu vs George Town

Daegu leads George Town by 1 points on the CIRA Index, 72 to 71. Daegu grades better on 8 measures, George Town on 8; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Daegu 72, George Town 71
• OECD: Daegu 66, George Town 70
• UN Tourism: Daegu 81, George Town 77
• UNDRR: Daegu 59, George Town 69

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Daegu 50, George Town 71
• Economy and jobs: Daegu 83, George Town 67
• Climate and hazards: Daegu 45, George Town 55
• Water and environment: Daegu 94, George Town 88
• Community and housing: Daegu 100, George Town 75
• Access and continuity: Daegu 71, George Town 75

Where Daegu is stronger

• Jobs in tourism industries: 1.9 % of employment in accommodation and food services (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 below 8: grade 4/4.
• Tropical nights: 83.6 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.
• Country disaster risk: 2 INFORM Risk index, 0–10 (country figure) (INFORM Risk (European Commission JRC), INFORM Risk Mid 2026, 2026). At or below 2: grade 4/4.
• Wastewater safely treated: 98.9 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (Daegu Metropolitan City, Sewage Status, 2022). At or above 95: grade 4/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 321.2 kg per resident per year (Daegu Metropolitan City, 2024 Municipal Administration White Paper (시정백서), 2022). At or below 350: grade 4/4.
• Short-let density: 0.1 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (AirDNA & Statistics Korea (Census), August 2026). At or below 0.5: grade 4/4.
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated, tested plan that names visitors and tourism operators, with warnings in several languages (Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), Republic of Korea, 2026). Grade 4/4.
• Government effectiveness: 91 World Bank WGI percentile rank, 0–100 (country figure) (World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025). At or above 80: grade 4/4.

Where George Town is stronger

• Largest foreign market: 37.9 % of international arrivals or nights (region figure) (Penang State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee / Immigration Department of Malaysia (Penang branch), via Buletin Mutiara, 2024). Between 30 and 40: grade 1/4.
• Recovery against 2019: 115.9 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (region figure) (Penang State Government / Tourism Malaysia, cited in State of Penang Tourism 2026 and Focus Malaysia, 2024). At or above 110: grade 4/4.
• Income per head: 55,891 GDP per capita, USD PPP (region figure) (Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by State, 2024 & World Bank International Comparison Program, 2024). Between 45,000 and 60,000: grade 3/4.
• 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.
• Wildfire and storm 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.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan with named owners, operators and recovery funding (Penang State Government / George Town World Heritage Incorporated, 2021-2030). Grade 3/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source such as a tourist tax or levy (Free Malaysia Today / The Straits Times, 2024-2025). Grade 2/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• South Korea: #12 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Malaysia: #26 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Daegu in full · George Town in full

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