Chennai vs Panaji

Chennai leads Panaji by 3 points on the TRAIL Index, 55 to 52. Chennai grades better on 6 measures, Panaji on 5; the same 37 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• TRAIL Index: Chennai 55, Panaji 52
• OECD: Chennai 54, Panaji 54
• UN Tourism: Chennai 58, Panaji 53
• UNDRR: Chennai 41, Panaji 44

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Chennai 71, Panaji 83
• Economy and jobs: Chennai 63, Panaji 50
• Climate and hazards: Chennai 20, Panaji 30
• Water and environment: Chennai 50, Panaji 44
• Community and housing: Chennai 75, Panaji 42
• Access and continuity: Chennai 55, Panaji 56

Where Chennai is stronger

• Largest foreign market: 18.1 % of international arrivals or nights (country figure) (Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, India Tourism Data Compendium 2025, 2024). Between 15 and 20: grade 3/4.
• Unemployment rate: 4.4 % of the labour force (National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Government of India, Labour Market Dynamics in Million-plus Cities (based on Periodic Labour Force Surve, 2025). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Flood hazard: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.
• Wastewater safely treated: 88.2 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (metro figure) (DT Next / Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB), 2024). Between 85 and 95: grade 3/4.
• Short-let density: 0.2 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (AirDNA Chennai Market Report & Census of India, August 2026). At or below 0.5: grade 4/4.
• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Chennai Port Authority / Southern Railway / AAI / NHAI, 2024–2026). At or above 4: grade 4/4.

Where Panaji is stronger

• Recovery against 2019: 134 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (region figure) (Department of Tourism, Government of Goa / Deccan Chronicle, 2025). At or above 110: grade 4/4.
• Extreme heat days: 6.6 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 5 and 15: grade 3/4.
• Water scarcity: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Air traffic recovery: 132.1 % of the same 12 months of 2019, airport passengers (DGCA traffic statistics (via india-aviation-traffic, ODbL), TTM Jul 2025 – Jun 2026). At or above 110: grade 4/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: Crisis communication only, ad hoc (Department of Tourism, Government of Goa, 2020–2026). Grade 1/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• India: #31 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• India: #31 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Chennai in full · Panaji in full

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