Granada vs Marbella

Granada leads Marbella by 2 points on the CIRA Index, 58 to 56. Granada grades better on 9 measures, Marbella on 7; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Granada 58, Marbella 56
• OECD: Granada 58, Marbella 56
• UN Tourism: Granada 57, Marbella 54
• UNDRR: Granada 57, Marbella 56

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Granada 63, Marbella 63
• Economy and jobs: Granada 67, Marbella 75
• Climate and hazards: Granada 50, Marbella 50
• Water and environment: Granada 50, Marbella 42
• Community and housing: Granada 69, Marbella 56
• Access and continuity: Granada 58, Marbella 58

Where Granada is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 52.4 % of nights by residents of the same country (region figure) (Diputación Provincial de Granada / Patronato Provincial de Turismo (based on INE - Encuesta de Ocupación Hotelera), 2024). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Largest foreign market: 15.3 % of international arrivals or nights (INE, foreign tourists by municipality and country of residence (mobile-phone positioning, table 52048), 2025). Between 15 and 20: grade 3/4.
• Tropical nights: 58.2 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 30 and 60: grade 2/4.
• Flood hazard: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 526.1 kg per resident per year (Ayuntamiento de Granada, Medio Ambiente - Gestión de Residuos, 2024). Between 450 and 550: grade 2/4.
• Tourism intensity: 6.4 visitor nights per resident per year (region figure) (Diputación Provincial de Granada & INE (Estadística Continua de Población), 2024). Between 5 and 10: grade 3/4.
• Short-let density: 2.3 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (INE via CCOO Informe sobre la situación de la vivienda en Andalucía 2025, May 2025). Between 2 and 4: grade 1/4.
• Resident support for tourism: 89 % of residents who say tourism benefits them or the city (region figure) (Consejería de Turismo, Cultura y Deporte de la Junta de Andalucía, 'Percepción de los residentes hacia el turismo en Andalucía', 2023). At or above 70: grade 4/4.
• Access redundancy: 3 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Aena & Renfe, 2025–2026). Between 3 and 4: grade 3/4.

Where Marbella is stronger

• Average length of stay: 3.6 nights per visitor (Ayuntamiento de Marbella & INE (Encuesta de Ocupación Hotelera), 2024). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 66.4 % average annual occupancy (INE via Marbella24horas / Ayuntamiento de Marbella, 2024). Between 65 and 75: grade 3/4.
• Unemployment rate: 10.7 % of the labour force (Instituto de Estadística y Cartografía de Andalucía (IECA) - Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía (SIMA), 2025). Between 8 and 12: grade 2/4.
• Extreme heat days: 4 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.
• Rent growth: 2.4 % change in rents over the last 12 months (Idealista, Valoración de inmuebles en Marbella, Málaga, September 2025–September 2026). At or below 3: grade 4/4.
• Air traffic recovery: 137.8 % of the same 12 months of 2019, airport passengers (metro figure) (Eurostat avia_paoa, 2025-04–2026-03). At or above 110: grade 4/4.
• Largest airline group share: 32.1 % of airport passengers carried by the largest airline group (metro figure) (Aena, detailed traffic statistics (passengers by airline, route and country), Sep 2025 – Aug 2026). Between 30 and 40: grade 2/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Spain: #3 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Spain: #3 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Granada in full · Marbella in full

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