Montreal vs Seattle
Montreal leads Seattle by 2 points on the CIRA Index, 75 to 73. Montreal grades better on 4 measures, Seattle on 4; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.
Scores by each organisation's criteria
- CIRA Index: Montreal 75, Seattle 73
- OECD: Montreal 70, Seattle 70
- UN Tourism: Montreal 76, Seattle 70
- UNDRR: Montreal 67, Seattle 67
Theme by theme
- Demand and seasonality: Montreal 55, Seattle 65
- Economy and jobs: Montreal 92, Seattle 92
- Climate and hazards: Montreal 65, Seattle 65
- Water and environment: Montreal 81, Seattle 63
- Community and housing: Montreal 58, Seattle 63
- Access and continuity: Montreal 79, Seattle 79
Where Montreal is stronger
- Recovery against 2019: 106.3 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (Tourisme Montréal / TravelPulse Canada, 'Montréal Tourism Boasts 11.8M Visitors in 2025, Up 7.3%', 2025). Between 100 and 110: grade 3/4.
- Municipal waste per resident: 441 kg per resident per year (metro figure) (Ville de Montréal, Service de l'environnement, Bilan 2022 de la gestion des matières résiduelles de l'agglomération de Montréal, 2022). Between 350 and 450: grade 3/4.
- Short-let density: 1.1 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (AirDNA & Statistics Canada (2021 Census), 2026). Between 1 and 2: grade 2/4.
- Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A written destination crisis plan (Tourisme Montréal, 'Orientations stratégiques / Plan stratégique 2024-2026', 2024-2026). Grade 2/4.
Where Seattle is stronger
- Nights in the three busiest months: 28.4 % of annual nights (country figure) (World Economic Forum, TTDI 2026 (data: UN Tourism by United Nations World Tourism Organization), 2024, 2025 moving average). At or below 30: grade 4/4.
- Unemployment rate: 4.8 % of the labour force (metro figure) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Economy at a Glance: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, August 2026). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
- Rent growth: 0.7 % change in rents over the last 12 months (Zillow, What's it like to live in Seattle, WA?, September 2025–September 2026). At or below 3: grade 4/4.
- Early warning and emergency plan: An updated, tested plan that names visitors and tourism operators, with warnings in several languages (City of Seattle Office of Emergency Management, Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) & AlertSeattle, 2021–2025). Grade 4/4.
Country context (World Economic Forum)
- Canada: #14 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
- United States: #2 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
Montreal in full · Seattle in full
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