Mecca

Mecca, Saudi Arabia, scores 60 on the TRAIL Index of tourism resilience, #142 of 310 destinations. 27 of 30 measures come from public sources, with 75% confidence. Every grade below states its value, period and source.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• TRAIL Index: 60
• OECD: 67
• UN Tourism: 66
• UNDRR: 69

Travel advisory at level 3 (reconsider or avoid non-essential travel): the TRAIL score is capped at 60. Without the cap: 66.

Strongest

• Air traffic recovery: 144.6 % of the same 12 months of 2019, airport passengers (GASTAT Air Transport Statistics Publication 2025 (53.5M in 2025) and Jeddah Airports Company (JEDCO) historical peak (37.0M in 2019), 2025). At or above 110: grade 4/4.
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated, tested plan that names visitors and tourism operators, with warnings in several languages (Saudi Civil Defence / National Early Warning Platform, 2026). Grade 4/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan tested in an exercise or a real event, with lessons published (Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah / Preprints - Mass Gathering Medicine and Crisis Management Review, 2024–2025). Grade 4/4.

Weakest

• Tropical nights: 286.8 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Above 100: grade 0/4.
• Extreme heat days: 213.8 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Above 60: grade 0/4.
• Travel advisory: 3 stricter of the US and Canadian government advisory for the country, 1 (normal precautions) to 4 (do not travel) (country figure) (US State Department and Government of Canada travel advisories, 2026-09-29). Between 2.5 and 3: grade 1/4.

Saudi Arabia in the World Economic Forum Travel & Tourism Development Index

Saudi Arabia is #29 of 110 countries (4.45 of 7) in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026, which scores countries, not cities. Cities in countries with that WEF score average 62 on the TRAIL Index; Mecca is 2 below that.

Every measure, by theme

Demand and seasonality: 80

• Nights in the three busiest months: 32.8 % of annual nights (country figure) (World Economic Forum, TTDI 2026 (data: UN Tourism by United Nations World Tourism Organization), 2024, 2025 moving average). Between 30 and 35: grade 3/4. Source
• Domestic share of nights: 43.3 % 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). Between 35 and 45: grade 3/4. Source
• Largest foreign market: 10.8 % of international arrivals or nights (country figure) (Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, Annual Statistical Report 2024 (via Arab News / Sharikat Mubasher), 2024). At or below 15: grade 4/4. Source
• Recovery against 2019: not measured yet
• Average length of stay: 4.4 nights per visitor (region figure) (General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Tourism Establishments Statistics Q4 2025, Q4 2025). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4. Source
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 63 % average annual occupancy (Insights KSA, Hospitality Trends in Makkah & Madinah (citing STR Global / Ministry of Tourism), 2023). Between 55 and 65: grade 2/4. Source

Economy and jobs: 75

• Jobs in tourism industries: 10.2 % of employment in accommodation and food services (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). Between 8 and 12: grade 3/4. Source
• Unemployment rate: 8.7 % of the labour force (region figure) (General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) via DataSaudi, Q1 2026). Between 8 and 12: grade 2/4. Source
• Income per head: 73,784 GDP per capita, USD PPP (country figure) (World Bank WDI, 2025). At or above 60,000: grade 4/4. Source
• Economic diversity: not measured yet

Climate and hazards: 40

• Extreme heat days: 213.8 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Above 60: grade 0/4. Source
• Tropical nights: 286.8 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Above 100: grade 0/4. Source
• Flood hazard: high (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 1/4. Source
• Wildfire and storm hazard: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4. Source
• 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. Source
• Greenhouse gas emissions per resident: not measured yet

Water and environment: 50

• Water scarcity: high (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 1/4. Source
• Wastewater safely treated: 100 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (UN-Habitat & Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs (MoMRA), Future Saudi Cities Programme - CPI Profile Makkah, 2017). At or above 95: grade 4/4. Source
• Municipal waste per resident: 511 kg per resident per year (PLOS One, Biodiesel production potential from fat fraction of municipal waste in Makkah, 2014–2024). Between 450 and 550: grade 2/4. Source
• Green space: 17.1 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (region figure) (Saudi National Center for Vegetation Cover and Combating Desertification via Arab News, 2023). Between 10 and 20: grade 1/4. Source
• Energy use per resident: not measured yet

Community and housing: 75

• Tourism intensity: 17.8 visitor nights per resident per year (Ministry of Tourism (Saudi Arabia) - Tourism Statistics in Saudi Arabia Annual Statistical Report 2023; GASTAT Saudi Census 2022, 2023). Between 10 and 20: grade 2/4. Source
• Cruise pressure: not measured yet
• Rent growth: 4.4 % change in rents over the last 12 months (country figure) (General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Consumer Price Index, June 2026). Between 3 and 6: grade 3/4. Source
• Short-let density: not measured yet
• Resident support for tourism: 78.4 % of residents who say tourism benefits them or the city (region figure) (MDPI Tourism and Hospitality (Alsaloum et al.) / Al-Kindi Study on Makkah Region Residents, 2024). At or above 70: grade 4/4. Source

Access and continuity: 75

• Access redundancy: 2 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites / Haramain High Speed Railway, 2026). Between 2 and 3: grade 2/4. Source
• Air traffic recovery: 144.6 % of the same 12 months of 2019, airport passengers (GASTAT Air Transport Statistics Publication 2025 (53.5M in 2025) and Jeddah Airports Company (JEDCO) historical peak (37.0M in 2019), 2025). At or above 110: grade 4/4. Source
• Rail share of intercity access: not measured yet
• Rail traffic recovery: not measured yet
• Largest airline group share: not measured yet
• Air route concentration: not measured yet
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated, tested plan that names visitors and tourism operators, with warnings in several languages (Saudi Civil Defence / National Early Warning Platform, 2026). Grade 4/4. Source
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan tested in an exercise or a real event, with lessons published (Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah / Preprints - Mass Gathering Medicine and Crisis Management Review, 2024–2025). Grade 4/4. Source
• Government effectiveness: 71.7 World Bank WGI percentile rank, 0–100 (country figure) (World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025). Between 60 and 80: grade 3/4. Source
• Travel advisory: 3 stricter of the US and Canadian government advisory for the country, 1 (normal precautions) to 4 (do not travel) (country figure) (US State Department and Government of Canada travel advisories, 2026-09-29). Between 2.5 and 3: grade 1/4. Source
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source partly ring-fenced for residents, infrastructure or sustainability (Saudi Tourism Development Fund (TDF) / Saudi Ministry of Tourism, 2020-2026). Grade 3/4. Source

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