Brussels vs Paris

Brussels and Paris are level on the TRAIL Index at 70. Brussels grades better on 6 measures, Paris on 9; the same 37 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• TRAIL Index: Brussels 70, Paris 70
• OECD: Brussels 72, Paris 73
• UN Tourism: Brussels 74, Paris 72
• UNDRR: Brussels 71, Paris 66

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Brussels 63, Paris 88
• Economy and jobs: Brussels 88, Paris 92
• Climate and hazards: Brussels 80, Paris 65
• Water and environment: Brussels 81, Paris 63
• Community and housing: Brussels 63, Paris 50
• Access and continuity: Brussels 67, Paris 75

Where Brussels is stronger

• Largest foreign market: 14.5 % of international arrivals or nights (region figure) (Statbel (Statistics Belgium), Tourist accommodations: Overnight stays in 2025 by region and most common countries of origin, 2025). At or below 15: grade 4/4.
• Flood hazard: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Wildfire and storm hazard: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 348 kg per resident per year (region figure) (Bruxelles-Propreté (via BX1), 2025). At or below 350: grade 4/4.
• Green space: 54.4 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (region figure) (Bruxelles Environnement, 2019). At or above 40: grade 4/4.
• Tourism intensity: 5.9 visitor nights per resident per year (region figure) (Statbel (Statistics Belgium), Tourist accommodations & Structure of the population, 2025). Between 5 and 10: grade 3/4.

Where Paris is stronger

• Nights in the three busiest months: 27.1 % of annual nights (Insee, Number of nights spent at hotels - Total - Paris (Series 010598705), 2025). At or below 30: grade 4/4.
• Domestic share of nights: 46 % of nights by residents of the same country (region figure) (INSEE Flash Île-de-France, 'Un an après les Jeux Olympiques et Paralympiques, le tourisme francilien au plus haut en 2025', 2025). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Recovery against 2019: 110.3 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (Insee, Overnight stays - Total - In hotels - Paris (Series 010607170), 2025). At or above 110: grade 4/4.
• Average length of stay: 2.2 nights per visitor (metro figure) (Paris je t'aime - Office de Tourisme de Paris, Chiffres Clés 2024, 2024). Between 2.2 and 2.8: grade 2/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 80 % average annual occupancy (Coach Omnium / Insee, Panorama de l'hôtellerie parisienne, 2025). At or above 75: grade 4/4.
• Unemployment rate: 5.7 % of the labour force (Insee, Q4 2024). Between 5 and 8: grade 3/4.
• Short-let density: 3 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (AirDNA & Insee / Apur, August 2026). Between 2 and 4: grade 1/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A written destination crisis plan (European Travel Commission, Crises in Tourism: Impacts and Lessons from European Destinations, 2024). Grade 2/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source partly ring-fenced for residents, infrastructure or sustainability (Service-Public France & City of Paris, Changes in 2026 in the tourist tax in Paris, 2025–2026). Grade 3/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Belgium: #24 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• France: #5 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Brussels in full · Paris in full

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