Marcy MinianoWe’re already in the second month of 2022, yet we’re guessing most of you have yet to make travel plans — given that the number of Omicron cases still significantly varies in different parts of the globe. In the meantime, why not find out which are the safest countries for travel overseas?
To help you get started, American insurance provider, Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (BHTP), just released its annual State of Travel Insurance report. Here, they assess various potential safety hazards; including pandemic-related concerns, weather impacts, terrorism threats, crime rates, and the wellbeing of women and minorities.
Their list of the world’s safest places to travel in 2022 is based on data from third-party sources such as the Global Peace Index, GeoSure Global, Expedia, and Oxford University’s Our World in Data initiative. Apart from these, BHTP also analysed survey responses from travellers who have already been to the destinations included.
Also read: Planning to Fly This Year? Here Are the Safest Airlines in 2022!
Top 10 safest countries for travel in 2022
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- Iceland
- New Zealand
- Canada
- Sweden
- Japan
- Australia
- Switzerland
- Ireland
- Germany
- United Kingdom
“Now that tourist volume [in Iceland] is down, it’s returning to its laid-back roots,” BHTP noted. But the best part? Some of these safest countries to visit are either already open or set to reopen to foreign tourists! Click here for the latest updates.
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Apart from this overall list, BHTP made several sub-categories on related factors. For instance, Japan ranked first in terms of Safety From Violent Crime, while Sweden clinched the top spot for Health Measures, despite its occasionally unorthodox pandemic response. Canada placed first for Transportation Safety, thanks to its highly developed rail systems.
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There were also sub-categories that covered the safety of women, people of colour, and LGBTQ+ members. For these, the frontrunners were Ireland, Israel, and Iceland respectively.
Additionally, BHTP also released a list of the safest cities for 2022 travel. Here they are, in case you’re planning a trip to these places any time soon.
Top 10 safest cities to visit this year
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- Montreal
- Amsterdam
- Tokyo
- Singapore
- Sydney
- London
- Barcelona
- Hong Kong
- Berlin
- Rome
As part of the travellers’ survey for the State of Travel Insurance report, BHTP also found out what factors the respondents considered as high-priority safety threats. Most noteworthy are disease outbreaks (56% response) and international terrorism (51% response).
Also read: These Are the Best Cities to Relocate in 2022, According to Experts
So, which of these countries and cities have caught your travel curiosity the most?
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