Douala vs Maputo

Douala leads Maputo by 1 points on the TRAIL Index, 49 to 48. Douala grades better on 6 measures, Maputo on 1; the same 37 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• TRAIL Index: Douala 49, Maputo 48
• OECD: Douala 44, Maputo 43
• UN Tourism: Douala 50, Maputo 49
• UNDRR: Douala 35, Maputo 30

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Douala 50, Maputo 50
• Economy and jobs: Douala 42, Maputo 0
• Climate and hazards: Douala 30, Maputo 25
• Water and environment: Douala 50, Maputo 58
• Community and housing: Douala 75, Maputo 92
• Access and continuity: Douala 42, Maputo 33

Where Douala is stronger

• Average length of stay: 2.4 nights per visitor (region figure) (Ministère du Tourisme et des Loisirs (MINTOUL) / Institut National de la Statistique (INS) - Annuaire des statistiques du tourisme et des loisirs, 2016). Between 2.2 and 2.8: grade 2/4.
• Unemployment rate: 15.4 % of the labour force (Institut National de la Statistique (INS) du Cameroun, Troisième Enquête sur l'Emploi et le Secteur Informel (EESI 3), 2021). Between 12 and 18: grade 1/4.
• Extreme heat days: 2.4 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Water scarcity: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated city plan with public early warning for heat, flood or fire (Cameroon-Tribune, December 2025). Grade 3/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source such as a tourist tax or levy (Ministry of Tourism and Leisure / Cameroon Tax Code, 2025). Grade 2/4.

Where Maputo is stronger

• Access redundancy: 3 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) & CFM, Comprehensive Urban Transport Master Plan for Greater Maputo, 2024). Between 3 and 4: grade 3/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Cameroon: #108 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Douala in full · Maputo in full

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