George Town vs Taichung

George Town and Taichung are level on the CIRA Index at 71. George Town grades better on 5 measures, Taichung on 5; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: George Town 71, Taichung 71
• OECD: George Town 70, Taichung 72
• UN Tourism: George Town 77, Taichung 69
• UNDRR: George Town 69, Taichung 78

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: George Town 71, Taichung 85
• Economy and jobs: George Town 67, Taichung 100
• Climate and hazards: George Town 55, Taichung 38
• Water and environment: George Town 88, Taichung 33
• Community and housing: George Town 75, Taichung 100
• Access and continuity: George Town 75, Taichung 80

Where George Town is stronger

• 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.
• Wastewater safely treated: 90.6 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (country figure) (United Nations in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam, Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, 2024). Between 85 and 95: grade 3/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 368.7 kg per resident per year (Buletin Mutiara (Penang State Government), 2024). Between 350 and 450: grade 3/4.
• 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.
• 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 Taichung is stronger

• Largest foreign market: 17.3 % of international arrivals or nights (country figure) (National Immigration Agency, R.O.C. (Taiwan), 2025). Between 15 and 20: grade 3/4.
• Average length of stay: 7 nights per visitor (country figure) (中華民國交通部 (交通新聞稿-114年來臺旅客觀光支出110億美元 五大趨勢驅動臺灣觀光由規模成長邁向產值提升), 2025). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4.
• Income per head: 85,127 GDP per capita, USD PPP (country figure) (International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Economic Outlook database, 2025). At or above 60,000: grade 4/4.
• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Taichung City Government Tourism and Travel Bureau & TIPC, 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 (Taichung City Government, Fire Bureau, 2024-2025). Grade 4/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

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

George Town in full · Taichung in full

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