George Town vs Kyoto

George Town and Kyoto are level on the CIRA Index at 71. George Town grades better on 9 measures, Kyoto on 11; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: George Town 71, Kyoto 71
• OECD: George Town 70, Kyoto 74
• UN Tourism: George Town 77, Kyoto 81
• UNDRR: George Town 69, Kyoto 73

Theme by theme

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

Where George Town is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 60.4 % of nights by residents of the same country (region figure) (Penang State Government / Tourism Malaysia, via InfoTourism Malaysia, 2025). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Average length of stay: 2.5 nights per visitor (region figure) (Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), Domestic Tourism Survey (States) 2024, 2024). Between 2.2 and 2.8: grade 2/4.
• 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.
• Green space: 47.3 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (Penang Island City Council (MBPP) / The Vibes, 2024). At or above 40: grade 4/4.
• Tourism intensity: 4.6 visitor nights per resident per year (region figure) (Penang State Government / Tourism Malaysia & Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), 2024). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Access redundancy: 3 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (metro figure) (Penang Port Commission & Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad, 2024). Between 3 and 4: grade 3/4.

Where Kyoto is stronger

• Largest foreign market: 20 % of international arrivals or nights (The Japan News / Kyoto Municipal Government Tourism Survey, 2025). Between 15 and 20: grade 3/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 78.5 % average annual occupancy (Kyoto City Tourism Association (DMO KYOTO), 2024). At or above 75: grade 4/4.
• Jobs in tourism industries: 4.1 % 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: 91.6 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: 99.8 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) / Kyoto Prefecture Sewerage Policy Division, FY2023). At or above 95: grade 4/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 267.2 kg per resident per year (City of Kyoto Environmental Policy Bureau / Ministry of the Environment Survey, FY2024). At or below 350: grade 4/4.
• Short-let density: 0.5 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (AirDNA & Statistics Bureau of Japan (2023 Housing and Land Survey / Kyoto City), 2023–2026). 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 (Kyoto City Tourism Association (DMO KYOTO) & Kyoto City Disaster Prevention, 2024–2025). Grade 4/4.
• Government effectiveness: 99.5 World Bank WGI percentile rank, 0–100 (country figure) (World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025). At or above 80: grade 4/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source partly ring-fenced for residents, infrastructure or sustainability (Kyoto City Official Guide / LIVE JAPAN, 2024–2026). Grade 3/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Malaysia: #26 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Japan: #1 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

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