Windhoek vs Yaoundé

Windhoek and Yaoundé are level on the CIRA Index at 57. Windhoek grades better on 7 measures, Yaoundé on 8; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Windhoek 57, Yaoundé 57
• OECD: Windhoek 52, Yaoundé 55
• UN Tourism: Windhoek 51, Yaoundé 64
• UNDRR: Windhoek 57, Yaoundé 47

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Windhoek 38, Yaoundé 56
• Economy and jobs: Windhoek 50, Yaoundé 50
• Climate and hazards: Windhoek 60, Yaoundé 45
• Water and environment: Windhoek 50, Yaoundé 75
• Community and housing: Windhoek 63, Yaoundé 88
• Access and continuity: Windhoek 63, Yaoundé 38

Where Windhoek is stronger

• Average length of stay: 14 nights per visitor (country figure) (Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), Namibia Tourist Statistical Report, 2024). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 54.5 % average annual occupancy (country figure) (Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN) / HEI Research, 2024). Between 45 and 55: grade 1/4.
• Tropical nights: 10.2 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.
• Country disaster risk: 4.2 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 city plan with public early warning for heat, flood or fire (City of Windhoek / Windhoek Express, 2024). Grade 3/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan with named owners, operators and recovery funding (Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), 2022-2024). Grade 3/4.
• Government effectiveness: 49.1 World Bank WGI percentile rank, 0–100 (country figure) (World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025). Between 40 and 60: grade 2/4.

Where Yaoundé is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 73.7 % of nights by residents of the same country (country figure) (Ministère du Tourisme et des Loisirs (MINTOUL) / INS Cameroun, Annuaire des statistiques du tourisme et des loisirs édition 2020, 2019). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Recovery against 2019: 139.2 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (country figure) (Ministère des Finances du Cameroun (Direction Générale du Budget) & World Bank / UN Tourism, 2023). At or above 110: grade 4/4.
• Unemployment rate: 11.7 % of the labour force (Institut National de la Statistique du Cameroun (INS), Troisième Recensement Général des Entreprises (RGE3) / EESI3, 2021). Between 8 and 12: grade 2/4.
• Extreme heat days: 0 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.
• Wildfire and storm hazard: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.
• Water scarcity: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.
• Rent growth: 3.5 % change in rents over the last 12 months (country figure) (Institut National de la Statistique (INS) Cameroun, Note mensuelle sur l'évolution des prix à la consommation finale des ménages, June 2023–June 2024). Between 3 and 6: grade 3/4.
• Access redundancy: 3 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Ministère des Transports / Camrail / Cameroon Civil Aviation Authority, 2024). Between 3 and 4: grade 3/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Namibia: #90 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Cameroon: #108 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Windhoek in full · Yaoundé in full

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