New York vs Toronto

Toronto leads New York by 1 points on the CIRA Index, 81 to 80. New York grades better on 9 measures, Toronto on 8; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: New York 80, Toronto 81
• OECD: New York 81, Toronto 76
• UN Tourism: New York 81, Toronto 82
• UNDRR: New York 75, Toronto 76

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: New York 90, Toronto 45
• Economy and jobs: New York 100, Toronto 92
• Climate and hazards: New York 75, Toronto 70
• Water and environment: New York 75, Toronto 88
• Community and housing: New York 75, Toronto 94
• Access and continuity: New York 75, Toronto 83

Where New York 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.
• Largest foreign market: 8.5 % of international arrivals or nights (NYC Tourism + Conventions / Office of the Mayor of New York City, 2024). At or below 15: grade 4/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 84.2 % average annual occupancy (New York City Tourism + Conventions, 2025 Annual Report (via ILoveNY), 2025). At or above 75: grade 4/4.
• Unemployment rate: 4.8 % of the labour force (New York State Department of Labor, August 2026). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Flood hazard: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.
• Wildfire and storm hazard: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.
• Wastewater safely treated: 99.7 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (NYC Mayor's Management Report, Department of Environmental Protection, FY 2025). At or above 95: grade 4/4.
• Short-let density: 0.1 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (NYC Mayor's Office of Special Enforcement / U.S. Census Bureau 2024 ACS, June 2026). At or below 0.5: grade 4/4.
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated, tested plan that names visitors and tourism operators, with warnings in several languages (NYC Emergency Management, Office of the Mayor, 2024). Grade 4/4.

Where Toronto is stronger

• Tropical nights: 15.6 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 10 and 30: grade 3/4.
• Water scarcity: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 242 kg per resident per year (City of Toronto, Solid Waste Reports & Diversion Rates, 2025). At or below 350: grade 4/4.
• Green space: 31 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (City of Toronto, Tree Canopy Study (CanopyTO), 2018). Between 30 and 40: grade 3/4.
• Tourism intensity: 3 visitor nights per resident per year (Destination Toronto and City of Toronto / Statistics Canada, 2024). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Rent growth: -1.4 % change in rents over the last 12 months (Rentals.ca and Urbanation, September 2026 National Rent Report, August 2025 – August 2026). At or below 3: grade 4/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A written destination crisis plan (Destination Toronto & City of Toronto, 2024). Grade 2/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source partly ring-fenced for residents, infrastructure or sustainability (City of Toronto, Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT), 2025–2026). Grade 3/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• United States: #2 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Canada: #14 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

New York in full · Toronto in full

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