Fukuoka vs Seoul

Fukuoka leads Seoul by 4 points on the CIRA Index, 79 to 75. Fukuoka grades better on 7 measures, Seoul on 6; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Fukuoka 79, Seoul 75
• OECD: Fukuoka 76, Seoul 73
• UN Tourism: Fukuoka 87, Seoul 78
• UNDRR: Fukuoka 78, Seoul 75

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Fukuoka 71, Seoul 75
• Economy and jobs: Fukuoka 83, Seoul 92
• Climate and hazards: Fukuoka 67, Seoul 60
• Water and environment: Fukuoka 100, Seoul 81
• Community and housing: Fukuoka 63, Seoul 58
• Access and continuity: Fukuoka 88, Seoul 83

Where Fukuoka is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 76.2 % of nights by residents of the same country (region figure) (Fukuoka Prefecture (Department of Commerce and Industry, Tourism Bureau) - Direction of Tourism Promotion Measures for FY2025 (citing Japan Tourism Agency Overnight Travel Statistics Survey), 2023). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Recovery against 2019: 103.4 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (region figure) (Fukuoka Prefectural Government, Direction of Tourism Promotion Measures for FY2025 (citing Japan Tourism Agency Overnight Travel Statistics Survey), 2023). Between 100 and 110: grade 3/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 161 kg per resident per year (Fukuoka City Environmental Bureau, 'Plan for Fukuoka: City of Circulation' (5th Fukuoka City Municipal Solid Waste Management Master Plan Revision), FY2024). At or below 350: grade 4/4.
• Green space: 55.4 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (Fukuoka City Housing and Urban Planning Bureau, 'Fukuoka City Green Basic Plan', 2023). At or above 40: grade 4/4.
• Short-let density: 0.2 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (AirROI / Fukuoka City Housing and Land Survey 2023, 2025–2026). At or below 0.5: grade 4/4.
• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau, 'Getting to Fukuoka'; Fukuoka City Government, 2024–2026). At or above 4: grade 4/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source partly ring-fenced for residents, infrastructure or sustainability (Fukuoka City Government, 'Guide to Accommodation Tax in Fukuoka City', 2024–2026). Grade 3/4.

Where Seoul is stronger

• Largest foreign market: 28.1 % of international arrivals or nights (country figure) (Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) / Edaily, 2024). Between 20 and 30: grade 2/4.
• Average length of stay: 6.1 nights per visitor (Seoul Tourism Organization & Seoul Metropolitan Government, '2023 Survey on Foreign Tourists Visiting Seoul', 2023). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4.
• Income per head: 55,697 GDP per capita, USD PPP (country figure) (World Bank / CEIC, 2025). Between 45,000 and 60,000: grade 3/4.
• Tropical nights: 73.2 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.
• Tourism intensity: 8.1 visitor nights per resident per year (Seoul Metropolitan Government & Korea Culture and Tourism Institute (International Visitor Survey), 2024). Between 5 and 10: grade 3/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan with named owners, operators and recovery funding (Seoul Metropolitan Government & Seoul Tourism Organization (STO), 2025–2026). Grade 3/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Japan: #1 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• South Korea: #12 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

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