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Tribune News Service

Travellers have many concerns, but safety is often a major priority, especially for women and LGBTQ travellers.
A recent Forbes Advisor study identified the riskiest places in the world to visit based on seven key criteria – and the destinations that ranked the safest.
The list analysed 60 cities across the globe on a 100-point scale, 100 being the most severe risk for travellers.
The criteria include risk for crime, personal security, health security, infrastructure security and digital security.
Curious to dive into the results? They just might surprise you.


Safest cities to visit
What cities were ranked the least risky? Well, two of the top three safest cities are located in Asia, while the top 10 safest include destinations from Asia to Australia and Europe.
The least risky city to visit in the world is Singapore, which scored a stunning 0 out of 100. It has the lowest natural disaster risk, the second-lowest health security risk, the second-lowest infrastructure security risk and the second-lowest digital security risk. Singapore is rated by the US State Department as a Level 1 security risk.
The second-safest destination is Tokyo, which has a security score of 10.72 out of 100. The large metropolis offers the lowest health security risk and the fifth-lowest infrastructure security risk. Japan is known for being quite safe, and the State Department ranks it as a Level 1 risk.
Leaving Asia, our third-safest destination is Toronto, Canada. It scored 13.6 out of 100 and ranks with the fourth-lowest infrastructure security risk and the seventh-lowest health security risk, making it a great big city for travellers to visit with little safety concerns. Canada is also ranked as a Level 1 risk destination.
The full list of cities that ranked lowest on the security list (in ascending order from least risky) are as follows:
1. Singapore, Singapore

2. Tokyo, Japan

3. Toronto, Canada

4. Sydney, Australia

5. Zurich, Switzerland

6. Copenhagen, Denmark

7. Seoul, South Korea

8. Osaka, Japan

9. Melbourne, Australia

10. Amsterdam, Netherlands

Riskiest cities to visit
The riskiest city for travellers to visit is Caracas, Venezuela. Scoring the only 100 out of 100, the Venezuelan city offers the highest health security risk due to the low quality of healthcare available, the highest crime risk, the second-highest infrastructure security risk and the second-highest digital security risk. Venezuela as a whole is rated by the US State Department as a Level 4: Do Not Travel risk due to “crime, civil unrest, kidnapping, and the arbitrary enforcement of local laws”.
The second-riskiest destination in the world is Karachi, Pakistan, which ranked 93.12 out of 100. It has the highest personal security risk due to crime, terrorist threats, economic vulnerabilities and even natural disasters. It also has the fourth-highest infrastructure security risk. The State Department ranks Pakistan as a whole as a Level 3: Reconsider Travel, due to terrorism.
The third-riskiest destination is Yangon, Myanmar. It scored 91.67 out of 100, and represented the highest digital security risk, the third-highest personal security risk and the third-highest health security risk. The State Department ranks Myanmar as a Level 4: Do Not Travel country, due to “civil unrest, armed conflict, and arbitrary enforcement of local laws”, which have escalated since the February 2021 military takeover of the country.
1. Caracas, Venezuela

2. Karachi, Pakistan

3. Yangon, Myanmar

4. Lagos, Nigeria

5. Manila, Philippines

6. Dhaka, Bangladesh

7. Bogota, Colombia

8. Cairo, Egypt

9. Mexico City, Mexico

10. Quito, Ecuador



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Singapore

Singapore named safest city for travellers. Philippines’ Manila, 1 of the riskiest

The least risky city to visit in the world is Singapore, a recent Forbes Advisor study found. Photo: Shutterstock

Tourists visit the Merlion Park in Singapore in December. Photo: Xinhua

Tourists visit Sensoji Temple in the Asakusa district of Tokyo on July 17. Photo: EPA-EFE

People dance during a two-day Latin American street festival in Toronto, Canada, on July 6. Photo: Xinhua

Tourists watch a sunset over the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia on Monday. Photo: AAP/dpa

The city of Zurich, a global centre for banking and finance, lies at the north end of Lake Zurich in northern Switzerland. Photo: Bloomberg

Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital, sits on the coastal islands of Zealand and Amager. Photo: Shutterstock

A night view of Seoul on June 28 taken from the a tethered moon-shaped helium balloon that tourists can ride at Yeouido Park. Photo: Xinhua

People walk past shops and restaurants in the Dotonbori area of Osaka at night. Photo: Bloomberg

People walk along Swanston Street and past Federation Square in Melbourne. Photo: Shutterstock

An aerial view of the historic Dam Square in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Photo: Shutterstock

An anti-government protester walks near a bus that was set on fire by opponents of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro during clashes in Caracas in 2019. Photo: AP 

Pakistani police patrol the streets of Karachi on July 16 during a procession to mark Ashura Day. Photo: EPA-EFE

Officials stand in front of a burning pile of seized illegal drugs during a destruction ceremony to mark the UN’s “International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking” in Yangon on June 26. Photo: AFP

Smoke rises from Ikoyi prison in central Lagos after it was set alight amid unrest that rocked Nigeria’s biggest city after the shooting of protesters in October 2020. Photo: AFP

Riot police and protesters clash in Manila amid an Asean summit in the Philippine capital in 2017. Photo: AFP

Police fire tear gas shells and rubber bullets to disperse students during protests in Dhaka on July 17. Photo: AP

Members of a police anti-explosive squad gather after a controlled detonation of a suitcase found filled with explosives in Bogota on July 19. Photo: EPA-EFE

A member of Egyptian security forces directs traffic during clashes in Cairo’s Suez Bridge district in 2014. Photo: AP

A police barricade surrounding the National Palace is set on fire by demonstrators who marched in Mexico City to mark International Women’s Day in March. Photo: AP

Ecuadorian soldiers stop and search pedestrians in a neighbourhood of Quito in January. Photo: EPA-EFE

South Korea’s Jeju taps Indonesian influencer Anang Hermansyah to restore tourism lustre

People walk towards a beach on South Korea’s southern resort island of Jeju. Photo: EPA-EFE

Seongsan Ilchulbong, also called Sunrise Peak, a volcano on eastern Jeju Island. Photo: Shutterstock

A chef prepares black pork, a Jeju culinary speciality. Photo: Joshua Lee

Saudi Arabia tipped to ease alcohol ban as it uncorks tourism potential

A bartender serves a drink at a pop-up bar in Riyadh offering non-alcoholic cocktails. Saudi Arabia opened its first-ever liquor store this year. Photo: AFP

Models wear beachwear from a Moroccan designer’s collection during a fashion show at the St. Regis Red Sea Resort in May. Photo: AFP

A computer generated image shows “The Line” at the heart of the planned futuristic Red Sea megacity Neom. Photo: Neom / Handout via AFP

Saudi Arabia is the sole bidder to host the 2034 Fifa World Cup. Photo: Handout

A waitress serves customers beer at a restaurant in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Photo: AP

Bangkok hotel horror: culprit among 6 foreigners killed by cyanide poisoning, police say

Thai police secure the area around the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok, where six people were found dead on Tuesday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Uneaten meals are seen left on a table in a room at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok, where six people were found dead on Tuesday. Photo: Royal Thai Police via AP

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin (left) arrives to give a press conference after meeting with police about the deaths at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok. Photo: EPA-EFE

Indonesia looks to Singapore’s ‘Swiftonomics’ success to boost tourism, but can it sustain creative industry?

Fans of singer Taylor Swift watch a light and water show in the “Eras Tour Trail” that depicts different eras of the pop star’s career at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore on February 28. Photo: AFP

US singer Taylor Swift performs on stage during a concert in Sydney on February 23. Photo: AFP

Music entrepreneur Teguh Wicaksono. Photo: Handout

Tourists in Bali, Indonesia. Economist Gancar Premananto says Indonesia should synergise its advantages such as tourism and nature with how it markets and promotes international events in the country. Photo: EPA-EFE

Workers prepare a store selling merchandise for US singer Taylor Swift at the Marina Bay Sands complex in Singapore on February 28, 2024, ahead of her sold-out shows in the city state. Photo: AFP

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Asia is home to four of the safest cities in the world – and four of the most dangerous for travellers, according to a new ranking


Asia is home to four of the safest cities in the world – and four of the most dangerous for travellers, according to a new ranking.
