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Researchers evaluated crime, healthcare, infrastructure, and personal safety to rank the destinations where traveling alone may pose greater risks.
Traveling to a new destination alone can be great for self-discovery, but it can also pose additional safety concerns. And some destinations are riskier for a solo jaunt than others.
The country of Venezuela ranked as the riskiest destination for solo travelers, according to a new report from travel insurance firm Square Mouth. The South American country scored a risk index of 9.74 out of 10 with less than 10 percent of residents there reporting feeling safe walking alone at night.
“These safety challenges, combined with limited healthcare access and infrastructure constraints, contribute to elevated risk levels for solo travelers,” the report noted.
Venezuela is currently classified under a Level 3 travel advisory by the Department of State, recommending Americans “reconsider travel” there “due to [the] risk of crime, kidnapping, terrorism, and poor health infrastructure and natural disaster.” Additionally, some areas within the country are listed under the highest Level 4 warning, coming with a “do not travel” directive attached, including the border region with Colombia and several other states.
How to Help Venezuela’s Earthquake Victims
Last month, the country was struck by a series of devastating earthquakes. Since then, the death toll has risen to more than 4,800 people, Reuters reported, with more than 16,000 people injured. The State Department noted the earthquakes have “caused extensive damage and disruption to transportation, infrastructure, and emergency services.”
After Venezuela, the country of Peru ranked as the second-riskiest destination for solo travelers with a score of 8.87 out of 10. The report noted less than 25 percent of residents felt safe walking alone at night there, with nearly 60 percent expressing “concern about being attacked.”
The African country of Gabon ranked third on the list, followed by Colombia in fourth place, and Bolivia in fifth place.
Whether traveling alone or in a large group internationally, the State Department encourages all travelers to sign up for its Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). The free program provides automated safety alerts and travel information, and can even provide information regarding evacuations in an emergency.
To come up with its report, Square Mouth analyzed crime, healthcare access, infrastructure quality, internet access, and more for 113 different countries, ranking each by the highest risk score.
This is the full list of the top 10 riskiest destinations for solo travelers, and their risk scores out of 10.
- Venezuela, 9.74
- Peru, 8.87
- Gabon, 8.51
- Colombia, 8.38
- Bolivia, 8.37
- Jamaica, 8.27
- Guyana, 8.21
- Ecuador, 8.12
- Trinidad and Tobago, 8.11
- South Africa, 8.04
Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
