Madrid vs Zaragoza

Madrid leads Zaragoza by 1 points on the CIRA Index, 71 to 70. Madrid grades better on 7 measures, Zaragoza on 6; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Madrid 71, Zaragoza 70
• OECD: Madrid 72, Zaragoza 70
• UN Tourism: Madrid 75, Zaragoza 80
• UNDRR: Madrid 68, Zaragoza 59

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Madrid 75, Zaragoza 71
• Economy and jobs: Madrid 81, Zaragoza 75
• Climate and hazards: Madrid 50, Zaragoza 45
• Water and environment: Madrid 75, Zaragoza 100
• Community and housing: Madrid 75, Zaragoza 75
• Access and continuity: Madrid 75, Zaragoza 70

Where Madrid is stronger

• Nights in the three busiest months: 27.7 % of annual nights (Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Encuesta de Ocupación Hotelera por Puntos Turísticos, 2024). At or below 30: grade 4/4.
• Largest foreign market: 11.2 % of international arrivals or nights (INE, foreign tourists by municipality and country of residence (mobile-phone positioning, table 52048), 2025). At or below 15: grade 4/4.
• Average length of stay: 2.1 nights per visitor (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, Área Delegada de Turismo, 2025). Between 1.8 and 2.2: grade 1/4.
• Unemployment rate: 7.7 % of the labour force (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, “La ciudad de Madrid inicia 2026 con una tasa de paro del 7,7 % y 24.500 desempleados menos que hace un año”, Q1 2026). Between 5 and 8: grade 3/4.
• Flood hazard: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Rent growth: 5.1 % change in rents over the last 12 months (Idealista, 'Evolución del precio de la vivienda en alquiler en Madrid', August 2025 – August 2026). Between 3 and 6: grade 3/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A written destination crisis plan (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, Plan Estratégico de Turismo 2020–2023 (COVID recovery) and Plan Estratégico de Turismo 2024–2027, 2025). Grade 2/4.

Where Zaragoza is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 70 % of nights by residents of the same country (Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza / Universidad de Zaragoza / INE reported via Heraldo de Aragón, 2024). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Recovery against 2019: 116 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza / INE Encuesta de Ocupación Hotelera y Extrahotelera, 2025). At or above 110: grade 4/4.
• Water scarcity: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.
• Tourism intensity: 3.1 visitor nights per resident per year (Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza / INE, 2024). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Short-let density: 0.3 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (INE via El Diario / Catastro, August 2024). At or below 0.5: grade 4/4.
• Rail share of intercity access: 85.6 % of intercity passengers travelling by long-distance rail (rail vs rail + airport) (Ministerio de Transportes, Observatorio del Ferrocarril en España 2024 (rail, by city) and Eurostat avia_paoa (airport), 2024). At or above 50: grade 4/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Spain: #3 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Spain: #3 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Madrid in full · Zaragoza in full

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