Guayaquil vs Quito

Quito leads Guayaquil by 2 points on the CIRA Index, 63 to 61. Guayaquil grades better on 8 measures, Quito on 5; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Guayaquil 61, Quito 63
• OECD: Guayaquil 59, Quito 60
• UN Tourism: Guayaquil 63, Quito 63
• UNDRR: Guayaquil 49, Quito 61

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Guayaquil 70, Quito 42
• Economy and jobs: Guayaquil 69, Quito 50
• Climate and hazards: Guayaquil 35, Quito 70
• Water and environment: Guayaquil 56, Quito 75
• Community and housing: Guayaquil 75, Quito 88
• Access and continuity: Guayaquil 58, Quito 54

Where Guayaquil is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 63 % of nights by residents of the same country (Observatorio Turístico de Guayaquil / Alcaldía de Guayaquil / ESPOL, Apr–Jun 2026). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Largest foreign market: 26.7 % of international arrivals or nights (Observatorio Turístico de Guayaquil / Alcaldía de Guayaquil / ESPOL, Apr–Jun 2026). Between 20 and 30: grade 2/4.
• Average length of stay: 3.4 nights per visitor (Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL) & Municipio de Guayaquil, Observatorio Turístico de Guayaquil, 2025). Between 2.8 and 3.5: grade 3/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 63.2 % average annual occupancy (BankWatch Ratings (Calificación de Riesgo VTP Hotel Ciudad del Río / Observatorio Turístico de Guayaquil), 2024). Between 55 and 65: grade 2/4.
• Unemployment rate: 2.3 % of the labour force (Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC), ENEMDU Trimestral, Q1 2026). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Economic diversity: 67.8 % of employment outside accommodation, food, retail and transport (country figure) (Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC) - Encuesta Nacional de Empleo, Desempleo y Subempleo (ENEMDU) 2023, 2023). Between 64 and 72: grade 2/4.
• Wastewater safely treated: 60 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (Primicias / Declaraciones del Alcalde de Guayaquil, 2024). Between 50 and 70: grade 1/4.
• Access redundancy: 3 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Terminal Aeroportuaria de Guayaquil S.A. (TAGSA) / Autoridad Portuaria de Guayaquil / Ministerio de Transporte y Obras Públicas, 2024–2026). Between 3 and 4: grade 3/4.

Where Quito is stronger

• Tropical nights: 0 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). At or below 10: grade 4/4.
• Flood hazard: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 264.3 kg per resident per year (metro figure) (Youtopía Ecuador / Municipio del Distrito Metropolitano de Quito, 2025). At or below 350: grade 4/4.
• Green space: 45 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (Husqvarna Urban Green Space Insights (HUGSI), Urban Green Space Report 2024, 2023). At or above 40: grade 4/4.
• Rent growth: 2.3 % change in rents over the last 12 months (Plusvalía / Diario Expreso, 2024). At or below 3: grade 4/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Ecuador: #80 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Ecuador: #80 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Guayaquil in full · Quito in full

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