Marbella vs Seville
Seville leads Marbella by 3 points on the TRAIL Index, 59 to 56. Marbella grades better on 5 measures, Seville on 10; the same 37 measures from public sources for both.
Scores by each organisation's criteria
- TRAIL Index: Marbella 56, Seville 59
- OECD: Marbella 56, Seville 59
- UN Tourism: Marbella 54, Seville 58
- UNDRR: Marbella 56, Seville 56
Theme by theme
- Demand and seasonality: Marbella 63, Seville 75
- Economy and jobs: Marbella 75, Seville 58
- Climate and hazards: Marbella 50, Seville 35
- Water and environment: Marbella 42, Seville 50
- Community and housing: Marbella 56, Seville 56
- Access and continuity: Marbella 58, Seville 70
Where Marbella is stronger
- Average length of stay: 3.6 nights per visitor (Ayuntamiento de Marbella & INE (Encuesta de Ocupación Hotelera), 2024). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4.
- Unemployment rate: 10.7 % of the labour force (Instituto de Estadística y Cartografía de Andalucía (IECA), SIMA municipal sheet: Tasa municipal de desempleo, 2025). Between 8 and 12: grade 2/4.
- Extreme heat days: 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.
- Rent growth: 2.4 % change in rents over the last 12 months (Idealista, Valoración de inmuebles en Marbella, Málaga, September 2025–September 2026). At or below 3: grade 4/4.
- Air route concentration: 43 % of international air passengers on routes to the 3 largest partner countries (metro figure) (Aena, detailed traffic statistics (passengers by airline, route and country), Sep 2025 – Aug 2026). Between 35 and 50: grade 3/4.
Where Seville is stronger
- Nights in the three busiest months: 28.7 % of annual nights (Smart Tourism Office Sevilla / INE (Coyuntura Turística Hotelera), 2024). At or below 30: grade 4/4.
- Domestic share of nights: 31.5 % of nights by residents of the same country (Smart Tourism Office - Ayuntamiento de Sevilla, Informe anual 2025, 2025). Between 25 and 35: grade 2/4.
- Largest foreign market: 16.4 % of international arrivals or nights (INE, foreign tourists by municipality and country of residence (mobile-phone positioning, table 52048), 2025). Between 15 and 20: grade 3/4.
- Hotel bed or room occupancy: 75.9 % average annual occupancy (INE, Encuesta de Ocupación Hotelera, puntos turísticos (monthly, tables 2078 and 2076), 2025). At or above 75: grade 4/4.
- Tropical nights: 78.6 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 60 and 100: grade 1/4.
- Wastewater safely treated: 100 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (EMASESA (Empresa Metropolitana de Abastecimiento y Saneamiento de Aguas de Sevilla), Saneamiento, depuración y vertido, 2025). At or above 95: grade 4/4.
- Municipal waste per resident: 495.5 kg per resident per year (LIPASAM (Empresa de Limpieza Pública del Ayuntamiento de Sevilla), Recogida de residuos urbanos; INE Padrón municipal, 2024). Between 450 and 550: grade 2/4.
- Short-let density: 2.1 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Estadística experimental: Medición del número de viviendas turísticas en España y su capacidad & Censo de Población y Viviendas, May 2026). Between 2 and 4: grade 1/4.
- Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Sevilla Open for Business / Aena / Puertos del Estado, 2024). At or above 4: grade 4/4.
- Tourism crisis and recovery plan: Crisis communication only, ad hoc (Ayuntamiento de Sevilla - Sevilla City Office, 2024). Grade 1/4.
Country context (World Economic Forum)
- Spain: #3 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
- Spain: #3 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
Marbella in full · Seville in full
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