Seoul vs Taipei

Seoul leads Taipei by 11 points on the TRAIL Index, 75 to 64. Seoul grades better on 10 measures, Taipei on 4; the same 37 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• TRAIL Index: Seoul 75, Taipei 64
• OECD: Seoul 73, Taipei 60
• UN Tourism: Seoul 78, Taipei 65
• UNDRR: Seoul 75, Taipei 51

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Seoul 75, Taipei 60
• Economy and jobs: Seoul 92, Taipei 83
• Climate and hazards: Seoul 60, Taipei 25
• Water and environment: Seoul 81, Taipei 63
• Community and housing: Seoul 58, Taipei 92
• Access and continuity: Seoul 83, Taipei 60

Where Seoul is stronger

• Recovery against 2019: 98.3 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (Seoul Metropolitan Government, 2024). Between 90 and 100: grade 2/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 79 % average annual occupancy (Cushman & Wakefield via The Korea JoongAng Daily, 2025). At or above 75: grade 4/4.
• Extreme heat days: 3.4 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.
• Tropical nights: 73.2 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.
• Flood hazard: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.
• Wastewater safely treated: 100 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul Solution, 2023). At or above 95: grade 4/4.
• Green space: 31 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (Husqvarna Urban Green Space Index (HUGSI), 2025). Between 30 and 40: grade 3/4.
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated, tested plan that names visitors and tourism operators, with warnings in several languages (Ministry of the Interior and Safety & Seoul Metropolitan Government, Emergency Ready App Service Guide, 2026). Grade 4/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan with named owners, operators and recovery funding (Seoul Metropolitan Government & Seoul Tourism Organization (STO), 2025–2026). Grade 3/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source such as a tourist tax or levy (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) & The Korea Herald, 2024–2026). Grade 2/4.

Where Taipei is stronger

• Largest foreign market: 17.3 % of international arrivals or nights (country figure) (National Immigration Agency, Ministry of the Interior, Republic of China (Taiwan), 2025). Between 15 and 20: grade 3/4.
• Income per head: 80,091 GDP per capita, USD PPP (country figure) (The Growth Lab at Harvard University / IMF WEO, 2024). At or above 60,000: grade 4/4.
• Rent growth: 2 % change in rents over the last 12 months (country figure) (Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS), Executive Yuan, via Focus Taiwan / CNA, December 2025). At or below 3: grade 4/4.
• Short-let density: 0.5 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (AirDNA & Taipei City Government Department of Civil Affairs, 2025–2026). At or below 0.5: grade 4/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• South Korea: #12 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Seoul in full · Taipei in full

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