Americans view Asian nations as safer for travel now than 4 years ago

A new study shows American travelers view many Asian nations as safer travel destinations now than they did four years ago.

South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, China and Vietnam rose in the annual safety rankings published by travel insurance provider Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection.

The survey in the 2022 “State of Travel Insurance Report” also showed that some of America’s favorite travel destinations in Europe and the Caribbean — namely Italy, Bahamas, Spain, Jamaica and the United Kingdom — lost ground in terms of perceived travel safety.

Australia also took a hit. From 2018 to 2022, the country fell from No. 1 to No. 10 in the survey.

‘Safest’ places for travel

Changing perceptions of ‘safety’

Movement in the rankings

Will perceptions last?

Many of the Asian nations that rose in the rankings were praised by medical experts for the tactics they employed to handle the Covid-19 pandemic.

Following Abu Dhabi, Singapore ranked No. 2 and Seoul No. 3 in a global ranking by the London-based analytical agency Deep Knowledge Analytics that analyzed pandemic responses in 72 cities.

Both countries, along with Japan, have some of the lowest Covid-related death rates in the world among nations with at least 1,000 reported cases, according to the data research website Statista.

How countries responded to Covid will affect how tourists perceive their travel safety, both before and during their trips, said Rachel Fu, director of the University of Florida’s Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute. 

She said that will be important for regional and international tourists alike.

“The facts will be recorded with historical value when future generations look back about how each country … dealt with the pandemic,” she said. “History will be holding us accountable.”

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/28/americans-view-asian-nations-as-safer-for-travel-now-than-4-years-ago.html