Shanghai vs Xi'an

Shanghai leads Xi'an by 2 points on the TRAIL Index, 73 to 71. Shanghai grades better on 5 measures, Xi'an on 4; the same 37 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• TRAIL Index: Shanghai 73, Xi'an 71
• OECD: Shanghai 66, Xi'an 65
• UN Tourism: Shanghai 74, Xi'an 79
• UNDRR: Shanghai 60, Xi'an 66

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Shanghai 80, Xi'an 60
• Economy and jobs: Shanghai 75, Xi'an 75
• Climate and hazards: Shanghai 35, Xi'an 35
• Water and environment: Shanghai 63, Xi'an 88
• Community and housing: Shanghai 100, Xi'an 100
• Access and continuity: Shanghai 71, Xi'an 71

Where Shanghai is stronger

• Average length of stay: 4.8 nights per visitor (Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration / CEIC Data, 'Shanghai: Visitor: Average Length of Stay', 2024). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 66 % average annual occupancy (Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism (via International Travel & Health Insurance Journal), 2025). Between 65 and 75: grade 3/4.
• Extreme heat days: 22 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.
• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Shanghai Municipal People's Government & Shanghai Statistical Yearbook, 2024). At or above 4: grade 4/4.
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated, tested plan that names visitors and tourism operators, with warnings in several languages (China Daily / Shanghai Meteorological Service, 2025). Grade 4/4.

Where Xi'an is stronger

• Tropical nights: 80.8 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.
• Municipal waste per resident: 186.2 kg per resident per year (country figure) (Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China, Report on the State of the Ecology and Environment in China 2024 & National Bureau of Statistics of China, 2024). At or below 350: grade 4/4.
• Green space: 44.1 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of China (MOHURD), China Urban Construction Statistical Yearbook 2023, 2023). At or above 40: grade 4/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan tested in an exercise or a real event, with lessons published (CCTV News (央视网), 2024). Grade 4/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• China: #8 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• China: #8 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Shanghai in full · Xi'an in full

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