Incheon vs Taichung

Incheon and Taichung are level on the CIRA Index at 71. Incheon grades better on 4 measures, Taichung on 7; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Incheon 71, Taichung 71
• OECD: Incheon 69, Taichung 72
• UN Tourism: Incheon 78, Taichung 69
• UNDRR: Incheon 69, Taichung 78

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Incheon 54, Taichung 85
• Economy and jobs: Incheon 88, Taichung 100
• Climate and hazards: Incheon 55, Taichung 38
• Water and environment: Incheon 81, Taichung 33
• Community and housing: Incheon 88, Taichung 100
• Access and continuity: Incheon 79, Taichung 80

Where Incheon is stronger

• Extreme heat days: 2 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.
• Tropical nights: 73.6 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 60 and 100: grade 1/4.
• Wastewater safely treated: 97.4 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (Ministry of Environment / Statistics Korea (KOSIS), Sewerage Statistics, 2024). At or above 95: grade 4/4.
• Green space: 55.5 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (Korea Land and Geospatial InformatiX Corporation / Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport via KOSIS, 2020). At or above 40: grade 4/4.

Where Taichung is stronger

• Largest foreign market: 17.3 % of international arrivals or nights (country figure) (National Immigration Agency, R.O.C. (Taiwan), 2025). Between 15 and 20: grade 3/4.
• Recovery against 2019: 122 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (Taichung City Government Tourism and Travel Bureau / Commercial Times, 2024). At or above 110: grade 4/4.
• Average length of stay: 7 nights per visitor (country figure) (中華民國交通部 (交通新聞稿-114年來臺旅客觀光支出110億美元 五大趨勢驅動臺灣觀光由規模成長邁向產值提升), 2025). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 60.3 % average annual occupancy (Taichung City Government Budget, Accounting and Statistics Office, 2024 Statistical Yearbook, 2024). Between 55 and 65: grade 2/4.
• Income per head: 85,127 GDP per capita, USD PPP (country figure) (International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Economic Outlook database, 2025). At or above 60,000: grade 4/4.
• Rent growth: 2 % change in rents over the last 12 months (Department of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, Taichung City Government, Price Statistics Monthly Bulletin, July 2026). At or below 3: grade 4/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan with named owners, operators and recovery funding (Taichung City Government Tourism and Travel Bureau (臺中市政府觀光旅遊局), 2024). Grade 3/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• South Korea: #12 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Incheon in full · Taichung in full

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