Higüey vs Kingston

Higüey leads Kingston by 4 points on the CIRA Index, 54 to 50. Higüey grades better on 6 measures, Kingston on 4; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Higüey 54, Kingston 50
• OECD: Higüey 55, Kingston 48
• UN Tourism: Higüey 53, Kingston 45
• UNDRR: Higüey 52, Kingston 59

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Higüey 79, Kingston 35
• Economy and jobs: Higüey 67, Kingston 63
• Climate and hazards: Higüey 40, Kingston 50
• Water and environment: Higüey 42, Kingston 33
• Community and housing: Higüey 50, Kingston 25
• Access and continuity: Higüey 50, Kingston 67

Where Higüey is stronger

• Nights in the three busiest months: 29.8 % of annual nights (country figure) (World Economic Forum, TTDI 2026 (data: UN Tourism by United Nations World Tourism Organization), 2024, 2025 moving average). At or below 30: grade 4/4.
• Domestic share of nights: 26.7 % of nights by residents of the same country (country figure) (World Economic Forum, TTDI 2026 (data: Travel & Tourism Economic Impact Research by World Travel & Tourism Council; Travel & Tourism by World Travel & Tourism Council), 2026). Between 25 and 35: grade 2/4.
• Largest foreign market: 37.2 % of international arrivals or nights (region figure) (Ministerio de Turismo de la República Dominicana (MITUR / SITUR), Informe Punta Cana - Bávaro, 2024). Between 30 and 40: grade 1/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 81.9 % average annual occupancy (region figure) (Banco Central de la República Dominicana, Informe de la Economía Dominicana 2024 / ASONAHORES, 2024). At or above 75: grade 4/4.
• Income per head: 24,543 GDP per capita, USD PPP (country figure) (World Bank, World Development Indicators, 2025). Between 15,000 and 30,000: grade 1/4.
• Rent growth: 2.6 % change in rents over the last 12 months (country figure) (Banco Central de la República Dominicana, Informe Índice de Precios al Consumidor (IPC), March 2025 – March 2026). At or below 3: grade 4/4.

Where Kingston is stronger

• Unemployment rate: 3.7 % of the labour force (country figure) (Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN), Labour Force Survey, April 2026). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Wastewater safely treated: 52.4 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (country figure) (UN-Water / SDG Country Profiles, Indicator 6.3.1, 2024). Between 50 and 70: grade 1/4.
• Access redundancy: 3 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (PAC Kingston Airport Limited & Port Authority of Jamaica, 2024–2026). Between 3 and 4: grade 3/4.
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated city plan with public early warning for heat, flood or fire (Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) & Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC), 2024–2026). Grade 3/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Dominican Republic: #66 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Jamaica: #78 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Higüey in full · Kingston in full

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