SYRIA, Libya, Somalia and even parts of Ukraine have been revealed as the most dangerous destinations in the world.
Mali, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Yemen, Iraq and Afghanistan were also deemed to pose serious security risks to travellers in 2020.
4
A new study by International SOS, a privately owned risk advice company, has analysed three major risk factors in all countries – medical, security and road safety.
In regard to travel security, this is determined by the level of violence, government control over citizens and how much of the country is accessible to tourists.
Ability to handle natural disasters, emergency services, social unrest and infrastructure are also analysed for a country’s travel safety.
For medical concerns, a high travel risk means a poor healthcare service and common infectious diseases such as malaria and cholera, while road safety is the number of deaths per 100,000 people.
4
4
A number of countries in Africa fell short when it came to travel security, along with Asia and eastern Europe.
Libya, Niger, Guinea, Eritrea and Central African Republic were deemed unsafe when it came to medical safety, along with Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, Sierra Leone and Haiti.
Venezuela was also found to be lacking following the decline of the country’s healthcare system, while North Korea was given a similar ranking because it is “unable” to manage a potential disease outbreak, according to a global health study.
Over two thirds of Africa also had more than 25 road deaths for every 100,000 citizens, along with Venezuela, Belize and the Dominican Republic.
4
Thailand and Vietnam have high mortality rates for road users – British tourists have died in recent years after using scooters and cars on difficult terrain.
A British doctor died after passing out at the wheel in Thailand, while a young traveller was killed in a horror moped crash earlier this year in Vietnam.
The UK Foreign Office doesn’t align with all of the advice from the new International SOS map.
It advises against all travel for many of the dangerous countries such as Libya and Afghanistan, but countries such as Guinea, Eritrea and the Dominican Republic have been deemed safe for tourists.
One of the biggest threats to tourists next year will be “geopolitical shifts” according to Matthew Bradley, regional security director at International SOS.
He told Forbes that “civil unrest generated from inequality” would affect a number of countries, with Hong Kong, Chile and Bolivia some examples of this.
Matthew added that while the US is deemed a low-risk country, this could change following the presidential election if there are riots.
Thankfully, the UK and the majority of western Europe are considered safe to travel when it comes to medical, security and road risks.
Scandinavian countries fared the best, with insignificant travel security risks in Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland.
WILD NIGHT
You can sleep next to lions and tigers at an incredible safari lodge… in KENT
Earlier this year, a different study found Tokyo, Singapore and Osaka to be the safest cities in the world.
Brits have also been warned to avoid Bali, Barcelona and Florida Keys next year due to over-tourism and damage to the local habitat.
Avoid Germany and Austria if you want to drive safely – a study found they had the most traffic accidents last year.
