Colombo vs Tainan

Colombo and Tainan are level on the TRAIL Index at 69. Colombo grades better on 4 measures, Tainan on 7; the same 37 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• TRAIL Index: Colombo 69, Tainan 69
• OECD: Colombo 61, Tainan 68
• UN Tourism: Colombo 69, Tainan 67
• UNDRR: Colombo 51, Tainan 73

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Colombo 71, Tainan 60
• Economy and jobs: Colombo 75, Tainan 100
• Climate and hazards: Colombo 45, Tainan 50
• Water and environment: Colombo 56, Tainan 42
• Community and housing: Colombo 100, Tainan 100
• Access and continuity: Colombo 58, Tainan 75

Where Colombo is stronger

• Recovery against 2019: 101 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (country figure) (Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority / Road Genius, 2024). Between 100 and 110: grade 3/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 60 % average annual occupancy (Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) / Hospitality Sri Lanka, 2023). Between 55 and 65: grade 2/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 346.8 kg per resident per year (Colombo Municipal Council / RTI Sri Lanka, 2020). At or below 350: grade 4/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source such as a tourist tax or levy (Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) & Tourism Act No. 38 of 2005, 2024). Grade 2/4.

Where Tainan is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 89.1 % of nights by residents of the same country (Tourism Administration, MOTC (via Hotel Guest Nationality Statistics), 2024). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Largest foreign market: 17.3 % of international arrivals or nights (country figure) (Ministry of the Interior / Tourism Administration, MOTC (via Taipei Times), 2025). Between 15 and 20: grade 3/4.
• Income per head: 80,091 GDP per capita, USD PPP (country figure) (International Monetary Fund / Harvard Growth Lab Atlas of Economic Complexity, 2024). At or above 60,000: grade 4/4.
• Wastewater safely treated: 66.3 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (National Land Management Agency (NLMA), Ministry of the Interior, ROC (Taiwan) - Table of the Statistics of the Sewage Treatment Rate, 2023). Between 50 and 70: grade 1/4.
• Green space: 32 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (Taiwan Forestry Research Institute / Taipei Times, 2021). Between 30 and 40: grade 3/4.
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated, tested plan that names visitors and tourism operators, with warnings in several languages (National Fire Agency, Ministry of the Interior & Tainan City Government Disaster Prevention Office, 2024–2025). Grade 4/4.
• Travel advisory: 1 stricter of the US and Canadian government advisory for the country, 1 (normal precautions) to 4 (do not travel) (country figure) (US State Department and Government of Canada travel advisories, 2026-09-29). At or below 1: grade 4/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Sri Lanka: #69 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Colombo in full · Tainan in full

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