The 15 Safest Countries To Travel To In 2024—According To A New Report

19.11.2023 - 22:32 / forbes.com

Safety is a top concern for many when choosing where to travel — a consideration that carries even more importance given the current landscape in the Middle East with the Israel-Hamas war and the U.S. State Department’s worldwide caution travel advisory. To help pinpoint safe countries for travel in 2024, Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection has published its “Safest Destinations” report for the ninth year in a row. The report ranks both the top safety countries and the top safest cities globally.

This year’s top safest countries are: Canada, Switzerland, and Norway.

The safest cities in the world are: Honolulu, Hawaii; Montreal, Quebec; and Reykjavik, Iceland. While Nordic countries and cities are regulars on top safety lists, it’s important to note that Iceland this month declared a “state of emergency” amid a rise in seismic activity and the “significant likelihood” that the Fagradalsfjall volcano will erupt.

Safety in the context of travel, of course, can come in a number of forms. It can be places free of terrorism, destinations where you’re sheltered from severe-weather events, countries that have solid infrastructure to help prevent accidents on the road, and regions where travelers of color and LGBTQ+ travelers feel safe and comfortable.

For its list, the insurance company surveyed 1,702 travelers and also considered data points from third-party sources to evaluate safety concerns such as terrorism, weather emergencies, health measures, and the safety of underrepresented groups.

Travelers must have visited the countries they’re rating within the last five years. The survey includes data from the Global Peace Index and the State Department’s travel safety ratings. The survey also incorporates GeoSure Global scores of the major cities in each country. The scores take a number of factors into consideration, including women’s safety, theft, basic freedoms, and health and medical factors.

An important thing to note with Berkshire Hathaway’s report: The ratings are “predictive,” meaning it doesn’t account for the possibility of natural disasters. Surveys were conducted in August and September, and, as an example, Iceland is on this year’s list, despite the thousands of small earthquakes that have been shaking the country in recent weeks.

Berkshire Hathaway’s list has traditionally been dominated by Scandinavian countries, Northern Europe, and destinations like Australia and New Zealand. This year, Asian and South American nations broke into the top 15 as Japan and Brazil both made the safest countries list. Last year, Brazil ranked No. 42.

Here are the 15 safest countries to travel to in 2024, according to Berkshire Hathaway’s report.

No. 1: Canada

No. 2: Switzerland

No. 3: Norway

No. 4: Ireland

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