Boston vs Vancouver

Vancouver leads Boston by 3 points on the TRAIL Index, 78 to 75. Boston grades better on 4 measures, Vancouver on 5; the same 37 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• TRAIL Index: Boston 75, Vancouver 78
• OECD: Boston 76, Vancouver 77
• UN Tourism: Boston 74, Vancouver 76
• UNDRR: Boston 65, Vancouver 75

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Boston 85, Vancouver 70
• Economy and jobs: Boston 100, Vancouver 92
• Climate and hazards: Boston 65, Vancouver 70
• Water and environment: Boston 56, Vancouver 63
• Community and housing: Boston 63, Vancouver 83
• Access and continuity: Boston 83, Vancouver 92

Where Boston is stronger

• Nights in the three busiest months: 28.5 % of annual nights (metro figure) (Meet Boston, Hotel Statistics (Pinnacle Advisory Group), 2024). At or below 30: grade 4/4.
• Unemployment rate: 4.3 % of the labour force (metro figure) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment, July 2026). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Wastewater safely treated: 91.1 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (country figure) (UN-Habitat & WHO (SDG 6.3.1 Progress Report), 2020). Between 85 and 95: grade 3/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source plus a reserve or stabilisation fund for downturns (Commonwealth of Massachusetts / Meet Boston, Tourism & Hospitality Rapid Recovery Plan, 2022–2026). Grade 4/4.

Where Vancouver is stronger

• Tropical nights: 1.4 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). At or below 10: grade 4/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 444 kg per resident per year (City of Vancouver, Zero Waste 2040 5-Year Implementation Update (RTS 16469), 2022). Between 350 and 450: grade 3/4.
• Short-let density: 1.5 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (Inside Airbnb & Statistics Canada (2021 Census of Population), 2024). Between 1 and 2: grade 2/4.
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated, tested plan that names visitors and tourism operators, with warnings in several languages (City of Vancouver & Destination BC, Emergency Preparedness and Response, 2024–2026). Grade 4/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan with named owners, operators and recovery funding (Destination BC & Destination Canada, Crisis & Emergency Planning Framework, 2024–2025). 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

Boston in full · Vancouver in full

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