Iceland is considered one of the safest countries for tourists right now.
When you’re planning a vacation, safety might not necessarily be the first thing on your mind when choosing where to go. But, following the recent terrorist attacks and the instability found in previously popular vacation destinations, safety is a serious concern -- not that there is an exact science to it. The U.S. Department of State currently has Travel Warnings or Travel Alerts issued on destinations across the globe ranging from Turkey and the Seychelles to an alert on the whole of Europe, which is so catchall it goes to show that no place can be definitively categorized as "safe" or "unsafe."
Using facts and figures compiled by the world’s leading organizations, which take into account a country’s treatment of tourists, security, murder rate, health, and military interventions, here are seven of the world’s safest travel destinations.
N.B. Wherever you go, we would always endorse staying alert and employing your common sense when traveling.
1. Singapore
Singapore is thriving economically; and (definitely related), it is also generally clean, healthy, and
safe. So safe, in fact, that the Singapore police ran an anti-crime campaign
with the catchphrase “Low crime does not mean no crime” to warn against
complacency. An independent state with a hard-line on crime, Singapore is one
of the world’s safest travel destinations — and bonus: home to some of the world’s best
hawker markets.
Hotel Pick:
2. Chile
Post-Pinochet, Chile’s democratic stability
makes it one of the safest countries in South America. Violent crime is rare and its position at number 29 in the Global Peace Index is the highest
of all countries in Latin America. Besides the natural beauty, Chile has the universal appeal of its capital, Santiago, a city that’s equal parts hip, historic, and artistic.
Hotel Pick:
3. Japan
Topping The Economist’s Safe Cities Index,
Tokyo was the world’s safest city in 2015, which might not come as a surprise
to anybody who has visited. Despite being the most densely populated city on
the planet, with 38 million inhabitants, the index — based on the categories such as digital
security, health, infrastructure, and personal safety — established Tokyo’s
status as the world’s safest urban metropolis. Osaka is number three on the
list.
Hotel Pick:
4. Iceland
Though the Global Terrorism Index reported
that in 2014, terrorist activity increased to its highest levels since recording
began, a recent report from Trip Advisor showed that 67 percent of U.S. vacation travelers still
planned to take an international trip in 2015, an increase from 50 percent in 2014.
While the survey doesn’t reveal specific destinations, the option of visiting supposedly safer countries might be a factor in travelers’ decision making. According
to the Global Peace Index, Iceland is currently the world’s safest country to
visit, scoring highly thanks to recent heavy investment in tourism and its having
one of the world’s lowest murder rates. Aside from safety, hot springs, fjords, and even surfing are part of the Icelandic attraction.
Hotel Pick:
5. New Zealand
Featuring one of the world’s lowest
incidences of terrorism and a very low crime rate, New Zealand is pretty close
to the natural paradise you expect it to be. Which is a good thing since it is
among the top five dream destinations American tourists say they’d visit were
money not an object.
Hotel Pick:
6. Sweden
If you’re traveling to Sweden alone, then
you can visit with the knowledge that its capital and largest city, Stockholm, was the only European (and non-Asian) city to rank in the top five of the
world’s safest cities in the category of Personal Safety. Apart from its 13th place in
last year’s Global Peace Rankings, other reasons to make Sweden your next vacation
include its stunning natural beauty, the excellent shopping in Stockholm, Malmo’s coffee — or fika — shops, and the pickled herring.
Hotel Pick:
7. United States
With the Department of State applying
travel warnings to most of the world, the U.S. itself is deemed to be one of the
safest places to travel, which makes the case for domestic vacations for
U.S. citizens. Will Caldwell of The Guardian reports that travelers from the U.K. also view America as a
relatively safe destination, with a rise in those planning a U.S. holiday up from 12 percent in 2015 to 32 percent in 2016. For those choosing to “staycation,” the charming city of
Sunnyvale, California rates as one of the
country’s safest.
Hotel Pick:
Related Links:
- The 6 Deadliest Tourist Attractions in the World
- 8 Trips You Have to Take Before You Die
- 13 Things You Only Do When You’re On Vacation
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