Kraków vs Madrid

Kraków and Madrid are level on the TRAIL Index at 71. Kraków grades better on 10 measures, Madrid on 8; the same 37 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• TRAIL Index: Kraków 71, Madrid 71
• OECD: Kraków 70, Madrid 72
• UN Tourism: Kraków 68, Madrid 75
• UNDRR: Kraków 67, Madrid 68

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Kraków 60, Madrid 75
• Economy and jobs: Kraków 94, Madrid 81
• Climate and hazards: Kraków 70, Madrid 50
• Water and environment: Kraków 63, Madrid 75
• Community and housing: Kraków 83, Madrid 75
• Access and continuity: Kraków 67, Madrid 75

Where Kraków is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 80.8 % of nights by residents of the same country (Urząd Miasta Krakowa / Małopolska Organizacja Turystyczna, 2024). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Average length of stay: 2.2 nights per visitor (Urząd Statystyczny w Krakowie, Biuletyn Statystyczny Krakowa (IV kwartał 2023), 2023). Between 2.2 and 2.8: grade 2/4.
• Unemployment rate: 2.8 % of the labour force (Statistical Office in Kraków / Enter Poland, April 2026). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Economic diversity: 95 % of employment outside accommodation, food, retail and transport (Zero.pl / Małopolska Organizacja Turystyczna analysis, 2025). At or above 80: grade 4/4.
• Extreme heat days: 0.2 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.
• Tropical nights: 2.8 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). At or below 10: grade 4/4.
• Water scarcity: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Tourism intensity: 4.5 visitor nights per resident per year (Statistics Poland (GUS) Local Data Bank (BDL) & Urząd Miasta Krakowa, 2024). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Rent growth: -3.5 % change in rents over the last 12 months (Otodom Analytics / CEO Magazyn, 'Więcej mieszkań na wynajem w Krakowie i lekka korekta cen. Średnie stawki niższe o 3,5% r/r', February 2025 – February 2026). At or below 3: 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.

Where Madrid is stronger

• Nights in the three busiest months: 27.7 % of annual nights (INE, Encuesta de Ocupación Hotelera, puntos turísticos (monthly, tables 2078 and 2076), 2025). At or below 30: grade 4/4.
• Largest foreign market: 11.2 % of international arrivals or nights (INE, foreign tourists by municipality and country of residence (mobile-phone positioning, table 52048), 2025). At or below 15: grade 4/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 74.3 % average annual occupancy (INE, Encuesta de Ocupación Hotelera, puntos turísticos (monthly, tables 2078 and 2076), 2025). Between 65 and 75: grade 3/4.
• Flood hazard: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 338 kg per resident per year (Ayuntamiento de Madrid, Carta de Servicios de Recogida y Tratamiento de Residuos, 2024). At or below 350: grade 4/4.
• Green space: 28 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (Husqvarna Urban Green Space Index (HUGSI), 2023). Between 20 and 30: grade 2/4.
• Short-let density: 0.8 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), 'Medición del número de viviendas turísticas en España y su capacidad', November 2025). Between 0.5 and 1: grade 3/4.
• Government effectiveness: 83 World Bank WGI percentile rank, 0–100 (country figure) (World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025). At or above 80: grade 4/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Poland: #28 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Spain: #3 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Kraków in full · Madrid in full

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