Alicante vs Granada
Alicante leads Granada by 2 points on the TRAIL Index, 58 to 56. Alicante grades better on 8 measures, Granada on 6; the same 37 measures from public sources for both.
Scores by each organisation's criteria
- TRAIL Index: Alicante 58, Granada 56
- OECD: Alicante 59, Granada 56
- UN Tourism: Alicante 60, Granada 55
- UNDRR: Alicante 60, Granada 56
Theme by theme
- Demand and seasonality: Alicante 65, Granada 63
- Economy and jobs: Alicante 88, Granada 58
- Climate and hazards: Alicante 45, Granada 50
- Water and environment: Alicante 42, Granada 50
- Community and housing: Alicante 56, Granada 63
- Access and continuity: Alicante 66, Granada 58
Where Alicante is stronger
- Average length of stay: 2.6 nights per visitor (Turisme Comunitat Valenciana / INE, 'Perfil del turista alojado en oferta reglada en la Comunitat Valenciana. Resultados año 2023', 2023). Between 2.2 and 2.8: grade 2/4.
- Extreme heat days: 2.8 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.
- Tourism intensity: 7.6 visitor nights per resident per year (Turisme Comunitat Valenciana / INE, 'Perfil del turista alojado en oferta reglada en la Comunitat Valenciana' & INE Padrón Municipal, 2023). Between 5 and 10: grade 3/4.
- Short-let density: 1.5 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (INE, Estadística experimental: Medición del número de viviendas turísticas en España y su capacidad (table 39366, municipalities), May 2026). Between 1 and 2: grade 2/4.
- Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Alicante Turismo - ALICANTE City & Beach, 'How to Get to Alicante', 2026). At or above 4: grade 4/4.
- Air traffic recovery: 134.5 % of the same 12 months of 2019, airport passengers (Eurostat avia_paoa, 2025-04–2026-03). At or above 110: grade 4/4.
- Largest airline group share: 41.8 % of airport passengers carried by the largest airline group (Aena, detailed traffic statistics (passengers by airline, route and country), Sep 2025 – Aug 2026). Between 40 and 55: grade 1/4.
- Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A written destination crisis plan (Patronato de Turismo Alicante City&Beach, 'Plan Estratégico Alicante como Destino Turístico Sostenible 2023-2027', 2023–2027). Grade 2/4.
Where Granada is stronger
- Largest foreign market: 15.3 % of international arrivals or nights (INE, foreign tourists by municipality and country of residence (mobile-phone positioning, table 52048), 2025). Between 15 and 20: grade 3/4.
- Tropical nights: 58.2 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 30 and 60: grade 2/4.
- Flood hazard: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
- Municipal waste per resident: 526.1 kg per resident per year (Ayuntamiento de Granada, Medio Ambiente - Gestión de Residuos, 2024). Between 450 and 550: grade 2/4.
- Rent growth: 4.7 % change in rents over the last 12 months (Idealista, El alquiler en España termina 2025 con una subida anual del 8,5%, 2025). Between 3 and 6: grade 3/4.
- Rail share of intercity access: 37.9 % of intercity passengers travelling by long-distance rail (rail vs rail + airport) (Ministerio de Transportes, Observatorio del Ferrocarril en España 2024 (rail, by city) and Eurostat avia_paoa (airport), 2024). Between 35 and 50: grade 3/4.
Country context (World Economic Forum)
- Spain: #3 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
- Spain: #3 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
Alicante in full · Granada in full
The TRAIL Index ranking · City vs city · How the index works · TRAIL Studio · Put your city in the pilot