George Town vs Nagoya
Nagoya leads George Town by 1 points on the CIRA Index, 72 to 71. George Town grades better on 6 measures, Nagoya on 10; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.
Scores by each organisation's criteria
- CIRA Index: George Town 71, Nagoya 72
- OECD: George Town 70, Nagoya 69
- UN Tourism: George Town 77, Nagoya 76
- UNDRR: George Town 69, Nagoya 67
Theme by theme
- Demand and seasonality: George Town 71, Nagoya 71
- Economy and jobs: George Town 67, Nagoya 69
- Climate and hazards: George Town 55, Nagoya 67
- Water and environment: George Town 88, Nagoya 83
- Community and housing: George Town 75, Nagoya 75
- Access and continuity: George Town 75, Nagoya 71
Where George Town is stronger
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Where Nagoya is stronger
- Largest foreign market: 28.5 % of international arrivals or nights (City of Nagoya (Tourism, Culture and Exchange Bureau), cited via Kentsu Shimbun report on '名古屋市観光客・宿泊客動向調査（2024年）', 2024). Between 20 and 30: grade 2/4.
- Hotel bed or room occupancy: 66.5 % average annual occupancy (City of Nagoya (Tourism, Culture & Exchange Bureau), Survey on Visitors and Hotel Guests in Nagoya City 2024, 2024). Between 65 and 75: grade 3/4.
- Jobs in tourism industries: 8.4 % of employment in accommodation and food services (Nagoya City, 市民の経済（統計でみた名古屋のスケッチ）, 1 June 2021). Between 8 and 12: grade 3/4.
- Tropical nights: 98.8 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: 99.4 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (Nagoya City Waterworks and Sewerage Bureau (名古屋市上下水道局), '下水道の整備状況', FY2024). At or above 95: grade 4/4.
- Municipal waste per resident: 296.8 kg per resident per year (region figure) (愛知県 (Aichi Prefecture), 令和6年度一般廃棄物処理事業実態調査の結果について, FY2024). At or below 350: grade 4/4.
- Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Nagoya Convention & Visitors Bureau and Port of Nagoya Terminal Corporation, 2026). At or above 4: grade 4/4.
- Early warning and emergency plan: An updated, tested plan that names visitors and tourism operators, with warnings in several languages (Nagoya International Center (City of Nagoya), 2024–2026). 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.
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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