Hamburg vs Munich

Hamburg leads Munich by 4 points on the TRAIL Index, 78 to 74. Hamburg grades better on 6 measures, Munich on 3; the same 37 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• TRAIL Index: Hamburg 78, Munich 74
• OECD: Hamburg 80, Munich 75
• UN Tourism: Hamburg 84, Munich 79
• UNDRR: Hamburg 67, Munich 67

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Hamburg 79, Munich 71
• Economy and jobs: Hamburg 75, Munich 83
• Climate and hazards: Hamburg 70, Munich 75
• Water and environment: Hamburg 88, Munich 94
• Community and housing: Hamburg 94, Munich 75
• Access and continuity: Hamburg 75, Munich 63

Where Hamburg is stronger

• 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.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 77 % average annual occupancy (Behörde für Wirtschaft und Innovation Hamburg / Hamburg Tourismus GmbH, reported via WELT and HOGAPAGE, 2025). At or above 75: 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.
• Rent growth: 1.1 % change in rents over the last 12 months (Behörde für Stadtentwicklung und Wohnen Hamburg, Hamburger Mietenspiegel 2025, 2023–2025). At or below 3: grade 4/4.
• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Hamburg Port Authority, Hamburg Airport, Deutsche Bahn, Die Autobahn GmbH, 2026). At or above 4: grade 4/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source partly ring-fenced for residents, infrastructure or sustainability (Hamburgische Bürgerschaft / Hamburg Tourismus, Kultur- und Tourismustaxe, 2024–2025). Grade 3/4.

Where Munich is stronger

• Unemployment rate: 5.4 % of the labour force (Agentur für Arbeit München, Arbeitsmarktbericht Juni 2026, June 2026). Between 5 and 8: grade 3/4.
• Flood hazard: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.
• Water scarcity: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

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

Hamburg in full · Munich in full

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