Houston vs Las Vegas
Houston leads Las Vegas by 8 points on the CIRA Index, 67 to 59. Houston grades better on 9 measures, Las Vegas on 6; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.
Scores by each organisation's criteria
- CIRA Index: Houston 67, Las Vegas 59
- OECD: Houston 65, Las Vegas 60
- UN Tourism: Houston 66, Las Vegas 56
- UNDRR: Houston 67, Las Vegas 67
Theme by theme
- Demand and seasonality: Houston 75, Las Vegas 79
- Economy and jobs: Houston 92, Las Vegas 81
- Climate and hazards: Houston 40, Las Vegas 35
- Water and environment: Houston 50, Las Vegas 31
- Community and housing: Houston 67, Las Vegas 50
- Access and continuity: Houston 79, Las Vegas 83
Where Houston is stronger
- Recovery against 2019: 110 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (Houston First Corporation / Tourism Economics, 2024). At or above 110: grade 4/4.
- Average length of stay: 11 nights per visitor (metro figure) (Houston First / Visit Houston, The Impact of Overseas Visitation in Houston, 2024). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4.
- Extreme heat days: 25.8 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.
- Water scarcity: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
- Green space: 18.4 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (USDA Forest Service, Houston's Urban Forest, 2015, 2015). Between 10 and 20: grade 1/4.
- Tourism intensity: 10.9 visitor nights per resident per year (Houston First Corporation & City of Houston Facts & Figures, 2024). Between 10 and 20: grade 2/4.
- Short-let density: 1.6 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (AirDNA & U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Houston city, Texas, August 2026). Between 1 and 2: grade 2/4.
- Access redundancy: 3 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Houston Airport System / Amtrak / Federal Highway Administration, 2024–2026). Between 3 and 4: grade 3/4.
- Early warning and emergency plan: An updated, tested plan that names visitors and tourism operators, with warnings in several languages (City of Houston Office of Emergency Management, 2024–2025). Grade 4/4.
Where Las Vegas is stronger
- Largest foreign market: 25.3 % of international arrivals or nights (metro figure) (Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) / Oxford Economics, 2025). Between 20 and 30: grade 2/4.
- Hotel bed or room occupancy: 80.3 % average annual occupancy (metro figure) (Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), Research Center FAQ & 2025 Year-End Summary, 2025). At or above 75: grade 4/4.
- Unemployment rate: 4.8 % of the labour force (metro figure) (Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), August 2026). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
- Flood hazard: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
- Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan with named owners, operators and recovery funding (Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) Financial & Operations Policies, 2025). Grade 3/4.
- Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source plus a reserve or stabilisation fund for downturns (Las Vegas Review-Journal / LVCVA FY 2026 Budget, FY 2025–2026). Grade 4/4.
Country context (World Economic Forum)
- United States: #2 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
- United States: #2 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
Houston in full · Las Vegas in full
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