Quito vs Santiago

Santiago leads Quito by 2 points on the CIRA Index, 65 to 63. Quito grades better on 7 measures, Santiago on 7; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Quito 63, Santiago 65
• OECD: Quito 60, Santiago 64
• UN Tourism: Quito 63, Santiago 63
• UNDRR: Quito 61, Santiago 62

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Quito 42, Santiago 54
• Economy and jobs: Quito 50, Santiago 58
• Climate and hazards: Quito 70, Santiago 75
• Water and environment: Quito 75, Santiago 63
• Community and housing: Quito 88, Santiago 83
• Access and continuity: Quito 54, Santiago 63

Where Quito is stronger

• Average length of stay: 2.4 nights per visitor (Quito Turismo, Informe Anual - Barómetro de Turismo 2025, 2025). Between 2.2 and 2.8: grade 2/4.
• Flood hazard: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.
• Water scarcity: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 264.3 kg per resident per year (metro figure) (Youtopía Ecuador / Municipio del Distrito Metropolitano de Quito, 2025). At or below 350: grade 4/4.
• Green space: 45 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (Husqvarna Urban Green Space Insights (HUGSI), Urban Green Space Report 2024, 2023). At or above 40: grade 4/4.
• Short-let density: 0.6 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (AirDNA & INEC Censo de Población y Vivienda 2022, 2026). Between 0.5 and 1: grade 3/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source such as a tourist tax or levy (Municipio del Distrito Metropolitano de Quito - Código Municipal, 2024). Grade 2/4.

Where Santiago is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 82.7 % of nights by residents of the same country (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 above 45: grade 4/4.
• Largest foreign market: 39.9 % of international arrivals or nights (country figure) (Subsecretaría de Turismo & Sernatur - Balance de Turismo 2024, 2024). Between 30 and 40: grade 1/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 61 % average annual occupancy (region figure) (Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas (INE), Encuesta Mensual de Alojamiento Turístico (EMAT), December 2024). Between 55 and 65: grade 2/4.
• Country disaster risk: 3.1 INFORM Risk index, 0–10 (country figure) (INFORM Risk (European Commission JRC), INFORM Risk Mid 2026, 2026). Between 2 and 3.5: grade 3/4.
• Wastewater safely treated: 100 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (metro figure) (Aguas Andinas S.A., Análisis Razonado 4T24, 2024). At or above 95: grade 4/4.
• Access redundancy: 3 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (metro figure) (BNamericas & ENEA Ciudad Aeropuerto, 2025). Between 3 and 4: grade 3/4.
• Government effectiveness: 80.7 World Bank WGI percentile rank, 0–100 (country figure) (World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025). At or above 80: grade 4/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Ecuador: #80 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Chile: #35 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Quito in full · Santiago in full

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