Traveling is very exciting, globetrotters will agree but then a trip can go awry if the destination is not a safe haven for the visitor. Political unrests, petty crimes and a host of other menaces can ruin a trip that is supposed to be therapeutic.
While most tourists pick out places to visit even before boarding the planes, some rely on travel advisories and guides to move around when they disembark. Whichever category you fall in, this is a guide to help you choose a safe destination before you travel.
Finland, Norway, Iceland Sweden and Greenland have been labeled the safest places according to a new map designed for travelers that alerts them to travel risks.
The ‘Travel Risk Map’ revealed regions that are most likely to put travelers at risk with regards to road safety, security and medical matters.
According to the map, which was launched by International SOS, Libya and Somalia are the most dangerous places to visit on earth for 2020.
Some parts of Nigeria have also been flagged as ‘do-not-visit’ for posing extreme security threats – such as political violence, social unrest and crime – to travelers’ safety. Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Somalia, and Libya also made the extreme risk-to-travelers category.
For health, countries which pose the highest risk of medical issues or contracting disease include African countries such as Niger, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, South Sudan, Eritrea and the Central African Republic. Yemen, Syria and North Korea also made the list.
According to the map, Sudan, Libya, Niger, Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, South Africa, and Madagascar pose the greatest road safety threat to travelers in Africa while Belize, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Vietnam are the non-African countries named.
Here is the breakdown:
Lowest Security-Risk Countries
Iceland, Greenland, Svalbard, Norway, and Sweden
Highest Security-Risk Countries
Libya, Niger, Yemen, Somalia, DR Congo, Mali, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, Iraq and some parts of Nigeria.
Lowest Health-Risk Countries
Italy, Germany, Ireland, Iceland, Denmark, Canada, United States, Australia, Spain, Turkey, Japan, Svalbard, New Zealand, and South Africa
Highest Health-Risk Countries
Libya, Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, and Niger
Lowest Road-Safety-Risk Countries
Greenland, Svalbard, Iceland, Algeria, Egypt, New Zealand, Japan, and Yemen
Highest Road-Safety-Risk Countries
Libya, Niger, Sudan, Somalia, Madagascar, South Africa, Namibia, and DR Congo
