Edinburgh vs Hamburg

Edinburgh leads Hamburg by 4 points on the TRAIL Index, 82 to 78. Edinburgh grades better on 4 measures, Hamburg on 4; the same 37 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• TRAIL Index: Edinburgh 82, Hamburg 78
• OECD: Edinburgh 81, Hamburg 80
• UN Tourism: Edinburgh 86, Hamburg 84
• UNDRR: Edinburgh 69, Hamburg 67

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Edinburgh 85, Hamburg 79
• Economy and jobs: Edinburgh 88, Hamburg 75
• Climate and hazards: Edinburgh 70, Hamburg 70
• Water and environment: Edinburgh 88, Hamburg 88
• Community and housing: Edinburgh 75, Hamburg 94
• Access and continuity: Edinburgh 79, Hamburg 75

Where Edinburgh is stronger

• Nights in the three busiest months: 28.3 % of annual nights (country figure) (World Economic Forum, TTDI 2026 (data: UN Tourism by United Nations World Tourism Organization), 2023, 2024 moving average). At or below 30: grade 4/4.
• Average length of stay: 3.5 nights per visitor (VisitScotland, Edinburgh and the Lothians Research (citing IPS and GBTS 2024), 2024). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4.
• Unemployment rate: 3.3 % of the labour force (Office for National Statistics via Nomis, Labour Market Profile - City of Edinburgh, Apr 2023–Mar 2024). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A written destination crisis plan (City of Edinburgh Council, Coalition Commitments Progress Update, 2022–2026). Grade 2/4.

Where Hamburg is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 78.1 % of nights by residents of the same country (Geschäftsstelle der Metropolregion Hamburg / Statistikamt Nord, 'Statistik - Anzahl von Gästen und Übernachtungen im Tourismus', 2025). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Largest foreign market: 9.6 % of international arrivals or nights (Hamburg Tourismus GmbH / Statistikamt Nord, 'Tourismus Insights Hamburg: Zahlen, Trends und Märkte', Jan–Oct 2025). At or below 15: grade 4/4.
• Tourism intensity: 8.8 visitor nights per resident per year (Statistikamt Nord / Metropolregion Hamburg, 'Tourismus' & 'Bevölkerungsstand', 2025). Between 5 and 10: grade 3/4.
• Short-let density: 0.2 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (AirDNA & Statistikamt Nord, 2025–2026). At or below 0.5: grade 4/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• United Kingdom: #7 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Germany: #6 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Edinburgh in full · Hamburg in full

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