Hanoi vs Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City leads Hanoi by 2 points on the CIRA Index, 64 to 62. Hanoi grades better on 4 measures, Ho Chi Minh City on 5; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.
Scores by each organisation's criteria
- CIRA Index: Hanoi 62, Ho Chi Minh City 64
- OECD: Hanoi 62, Ho Chi Minh City 61
- UN Tourism: Hanoi 70, Ho Chi Minh City 72
- UNDRR: Hanoi 51, Ho Chi Minh City 51
Theme by theme
- Demand and seasonality: Hanoi 75, Ho Chi Minh City 85
- Economy and jobs: Hanoi 67, Ho Chi Minh City 67
- Climate and hazards: Hanoi 30, Ho Chi Minh City 25
- Water and environment: Hanoi 69, Ho Chi Minh City 69
- Community and housing: Hanoi 83, Ho Chi Minh City 63
- Access and continuity: Hanoi 58, Ho Chi Minh City 63
Where Hanoi is stronger
- Extreme heat days: 24.4 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 15 and 30: grade 2/4.
- Municipal waste per resident: 302.5 kg per resident per year (Vietnam News / Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (citing GSO population), 2025). At or below 350: grade 4/4.
- Short-let density: 0.2 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (Airbtics / General Statistics Office of Vietnam (Housing Census), 2025). At or below 0.5: grade 4/4.
- Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source such as a tourist tax or levy (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism / Vietnam Tourism Development Support Fund (Law on Tourism 2017 & Decree 168/2017/ND-CP), 2024-2025). Grade 2/4.
Where Ho Chi Minh City is stronger
- Average length of stay: 4 nights per visitor (Voice of Ho Chi Minh City People (VOH) / Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, Jan–Aug 2026). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4.
- Hotel bed or room occupancy: 72 % average annual occupancy (Savills Vietnam / Hotel Performance Review: Vietnam, Full Year 2025, 2025). Between 65 and 75: grade 3/4.
- Water scarcity: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.
- Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Báo Ảnh Việt Nam / Government of Vietnam Infrastructure Review, 2025–2026). At or above 4: grade 4/4.
- Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A written destination crisis plan (Vietnam News, 2025). Grade 2/4.
Country context (World Economic Forum)
- Vietnam: #52 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
- Vietnam: #52 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
Hanoi in full · Ho Chi Minh City in full
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