Houston vs Phoenix
Houston leads Phoenix by 4 points on the TRAIL Index, 67 to 63. Houston grades better on 6 measures, Phoenix on 3; the same 37 measures from public sources for both.
Scores by each organisation's criteria
- TRAIL Index: Houston 67, Phoenix 63
- OECD: Houston 65, Phoenix 61
- UN Tourism: Houston 66, Phoenix 67
- UNDRR: Houston 67, Phoenix 57
Theme by theme
- Demand and seasonality: Houston 75, Phoenix 70
- Economy and jobs: Houston 92, Phoenix 75
- Climate and hazards: Houston 40, Phoenix 25
- Water and environment: Houston 50, Phoenix 58
- Community and housing: Houston 67, Phoenix 88
- Access and continuity: Houston 79, Phoenix 75
Where Houston is stronger
- Recovery against 2019: 110 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (Houston First Corporation / Tourism Economics, 2024). At or above 110: grade 4/4.
- Jobs in tourism industries: 6.3 % of employment in accommodation and food services (country figure) (World Economic Forum, TTDI 2026 (data: Travel & Tourism Economic Impact Research by World Travel & Tourism Council; Travel & Tourism by World Travel & Tourism Council), 2026). At or below 8: grade 4/4.
- Extreme heat days: 25.8 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 15 and 30: grade 2/4.
- Flood hazard: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.
- Water scarcity: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
- Access redundancy: 3 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Houston Airport System / Amtrak / Federal Highway Administration, 2024–2026). Between 3 and 4: grade 3/4.
Where Phoenix is stronger
- Hotel bed or room occupancy: 68.4 % average annual occupancy (metro figure) (ChamberRVA / Visit Phoenix, Richmond MSA + Phoenix MSA Benchmarking Report, 2023). Between 65 and 75: grade 3/4.
- Unemployment rate: 4.8 % of the labour force (metro figure) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment, July 2026). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
- Short-let density: 0.9 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (AirROI Phoenix Market Report & U.S. Census Bureau ACS Estimates, 2024–2026). Between 0.5 and 1: grade 3/4.
Country context (World Economic Forum)
- United States: #2 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
- United States: #2 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
Houston in full · Phoenix in full
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