Johor Bahru vs Kuala Lumpur
Johor Bahru leads Kuala Lumpur by 5 points on the CIRA Index, 69 to 64. Johor Bahru grades better on 5 measures, Kuala Lumpur on 2; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.
Scores by each organisation's criteria
- CIRA Index: Johor Bahru 69, Kuala Lumpur 64
- OECD: Johor Bahru 63, Kuala Lumpur 61
- UN Tourism: Johor Bahru 70, Kuala Lumpur 73
- UNDRR: Johor Bahru 55, Kuala Lumpur 59
Theme by theme
- Demand and seasonality: Johor Bahru 60, Kuala Lumpur 63
- Economy and jobs: Johor Bahru 67, Kuala Lumpur 75
- Climate and hazards: Johor Bahru 50, Kuala Lumpur 50
- Water and environment: Johor Bahru 63, Kuala Lumpur 81
- Community and housing: Johor Bahru 88, Kuala Lumpur 50
- Access and continuity: Johor Bahru 75, Kuala Lumpur 67
Where Johor Bahru is stronger
- Domestic share of nights: 69.4 % of nights by residents of the same country (region figure) (Johor State Government / The Star, 2025). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
- Extreme heat days: 0 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.
- Tourism intensity: 5.6 visitor nights per resident per year (region figure) (Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), Domestic Tourism Survey 2023 & Current Population Estimates 2023, 2023). Between 5 and 10: grade 3/4.
- Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Senai International Airport & Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB), 2024–2026). At or above 4: grade 4/4.
- Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source partly ring-fenced for residents, infrastructure or sustainability (The Straits Times / Bernama, 2025–2026). Grade 3/4.
Where Kuala Lumpur is stronger
- Wildfire and storm hazard: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
- Green space: 32 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (Husqvarna Urban Green Space Index (HUGSI), 2023). Between 30 and 40: grade 3/4.
Country context (World Economic Forum)
- Malaysia: #26 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
- Malaysia: #26 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
Johor Bahru in full · Kuala Lumpur in full
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