The year 2024 is already here, and although vacations across the world are not the national top priority here in Israel, the world has already mapped the safest destinations and countries and the opposing most dangerous for the upcoming travel year.
Some thought that Israel would immediately enter the list of red countries, i.e. the dangerous ones, following the October 7th massacre and the consequences through the next year, but Israel is not considered at the top of the list.
The risk assessment company International SOS, which has offices in London and Singapore, conducted a study that ranked the safest and most dangerous countries for a vacation next year, according to several parameters. For example, the security levels of the countries are based on the threat posed to workers by political violence (including terrorism, insurgency, political unrest, and war), social unrest (including sectarian, communal, and ethnic violence), and violent crime.
Scandinavian region considered the safest, South Sudan most dangerous
According to the study, Northern European countries, mainly Scandinavian, were ranked first as the safest countries in the world, including Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway, Switzerland, and Denmark, while countries such as South Sudan, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, and Somalia were ranked as the most dangerous.
Some new countries and territories that joined this list are Lebanon and the Palestinian territories (as stated in the original study).
Israel is not among the most dangerous countries but is situated in the middle, despite the war in Gaza. It was listed as orange from five warning colors - burgundy (the most dangerous country), red, orange, yellow, and green (the safest country).
Among the safest countries to visit in 2024, Iceland was ranked as the safest country in the world due to its "insignificant security risk" due to low violent crime rates, lack of political violence, and little sectarian, communal, racial, or targeted violence against foreigners, along with several other factors benefited her.
In contrast, South Sudan was ranked at the top of the list of the most dangerous places in the world in the study, which it is described as an "extreme security risk" due to government control and minimal law enforcement in large areas of the country. Another reason for risk is that this country faces a series of violent attacks by armed groups targeting travelers and international representatives.
For the first time, the 2024 travel risk map includes climate change as a factor. The risk assessment firm reported an increase in the trend of climate-related alerts, as rising global temperatures are set to increase health risks around the world.
"This year's extreme heat events may become commonplace with the first-ever heat wave hitting Europe. In addition to the physical effects of extreme heat, there can be significant negative effects on mental health," said Dr. Irene Lai, Global Medical Director at International SOS.