Karachi vs Phuket

Karachi and Phuket are level on the CIRA Index at 45. Karachi grades better on 4 measures, Phuket on 11; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Karachi 45, Phuket 45
• OECD: Karachi 43, Phuket 54
• UN Tourism: Karachi 45, Phuket 46
• UNDRR: Karachi 30, Phuket 63

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Karachi 56, Phuket 70
• Economy and jobs: Karachi 63, Phuket 75
• Climate and hazards: Karachi 20, Phuket 40
• Water and environment: Karachi 31, Phuket 0
• Community and housing: Karachi 50, Phuket 25
• Access and continuity: Karachi 38, Phuket 71

Where Karachi is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 89.3 % of nights by residents of the same country (country figure) (World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) - Pakistan Travel & Tourism Economic Impact Research 2024, 2023). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Jobs in tourism industries: 2.7 % of employment in accommodation and food services (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). At or below 8: grade 4/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 178.9 kg per resident per year (UN-Habitat Waste Wise Cities Tool (WaCT) Factsheet Karachi, 2021). At or below 350: grade 4/4.
• Access redundancy: 3 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Civil Aviation Authority Pakistan / Pakistan Railways / National Highway Authority, 2024). Between 3 and 4: grade 3/4.

Where Phuket is stronger

• Largest foreign market: 17.3 % of international arrivals or nights (region figure) (Thailand Ministry of Tourism and Sports, 2025). Between 15 and 20: grade 3/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 76.3 % average annual occupancy (region figure) (Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS) Thailand, Provincial Tourism Statistics, 2025). At or above 75: grade 4/4.
• Unemployment rate: 0.8 % of the labour force (country figure) (World Bank WDI, 2025). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Income per head: 37,383 GDP per capita, USD PPP (region figure) (Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) / World Bank, 2019). Between 30,000 and 45,000: grade 2/4.
• Extreme heat days: 2.4 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.
• Country disaster risk: 4.9 INFORM Risk index, 0–10 (country figure) (INFORM Risk (European Commission JRC), INFORM Risk Mid 2026, 2026). Between 3.5 and 5: grade 2/4.
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated, tested plan that names visitors and tourism operators, with warnings in several languages (The ASEAN Magazine, 'Thailand's Progress 20 Years After the Indian Ocean Tsunami' & ICPADM, 2024). Grade 4/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan tested in an exercise or a real event, with lessons published (PMC / Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease, 'How Thailand's tourism industry coped with COVID-19 pandemics: a lesson from the pilot Phuket Tourism Sandbox project', 2022–2024). Grade 4/4.
• Government effectiveness: 59.9 World Bank WGI percentile rank, 0–100 (country figure) (World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025). Between 40 and 60: grade 2/4.
• Travel advisory: 2 stricter of the US and Canadian government advisory for the country, 1 (normal precautions) to 4 (do not travel) (country figure) (US State Department and Government of Canada travel advisories, 2026-09-29). Between 1 and 2: grade 3/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source such as a tourist tax or levy (Bangkok Post, 'Phuket considers tripling hotel tax rate', 2026). Grade 2/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Pakistan: #95 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Thailand: #38 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Karachi in full · Phuket in full

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