Cali vs Medellín

Cali and Medellín are level on the TRAIL Index at 60. Cali grades better on 3 measures, Medellín on 6; the same 37 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• TRAIL Index: Cali 60, Medellín 60
• OECD: Cali 63, Medellín 67
• UN Tourism: Cali 64, Medellín 68
• UNDRR: Cali 55, Medellín 52

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Cali 56, Medellín 65
• Economy and jobs: Cali 50, Medellín 56
• Climate and hazards: Cali 60, Medellín 80
• Water and environment: Cali 75, Medellín 88
• Community and housing: Cali 83, Medellín 50
• Access and continuity: Cali 46, Medellín 42

Where Cali is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 92.1 % of nights by residents of the same country (Secretaría de Turismo de Cali / SITUR Valle del Cauca via Concejo de Cali (Radicado 202541720100005711), December 2024). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Rent growth: 5 % change in rents over the last 12 months (country figure) (DANE (Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística), Boletín Técnico Índice de Precios al Consumidor (IPC), August 2025 – August 2026). Between 3 and 6: grade 3/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: Crisis communication only, ad hoc (Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo (MinCIT) / FONTUR, 2024–2026). Grade 1/4.

Where Medellín is stronger

• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 66 % average annual occupancy (El Metro / Sistema de Inteligencia Turística (SIT) - Cotelco, 2025). Between 65 and 75: grade 3/4.
• Unemployment rate: 7 % of the labour force (metro figure) (DANE / Departamento Nacional de Planeación (DNP) - Mercado laboral urbano: Medellín, Q4 2024). Between 5 and 8: grade 3/4.
• Tropical nights: 0 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.
• Wildfire and storm hazard: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.
• Wastewater safely treated: 92.8 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (metro figure) (Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM), Informe de Gestión / Resultados 2025, 2025). Between 85 and 95: grade 3/4.
• Green space: 35 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (Husqvarna Urban Green Space Index (HUGSI), 2025). Between 30 and 40: grade 3/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Colombia: #54 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Colombia: #54 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Cali in full · Medellín in full

The TRAIL Index ranking · City vs city · How the index works · TRAIL Studio · Put your city in the pilot