Americans rank Canada as the safest country to visit in 2027
Canada remains a popular tourist spot, but according to a new survey, it’s also where travellers from the U.S. feel safest abroad.
The findings come at an interesting time, as political and trade tensions between Canada and the U.S. continue to strain relations between the two countries. Canadians are still boycotting U.S. products, and many have chosen to avoid travelling south of the border altogether.
Still, Americans continue to see Canada as a safe place to visit, with trips to Canada by U.S. residents increasing by 4.3 per cent in August compared to the previous year, according to Statistics Canada.
Safety is a huge factor when choosing where to travel, and a recent ranking from U.S. insurance agency Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection looks at which tourist spots give Americans the greatest peace of mind during their travels.
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Canada has dethroned the Netherlands as the safest country to travel to, according to this year’s World’s Safest Places report, jumping several spots from number five last year. New Zealand ranked second, followed by Australia, Iceland, and Japan.
The survey takes into account Americans’ attitudes to safety based on their experience travelling to those countries, along with data from the Global Peace Index, the World Health Organization, the Equaldex Equality Index, and the Global Terrorism Index.
Canada scored the highest out of 15 countries with an impressive 82.47.
The country also scored highly among different types of travellers.
Canada was a top choice among millennials, ranking first, while LGBTQIA+ travellers placed it second. It also came out on top among women and minority travellers.
The country was also the number one choice among Americans with household incomes of over US$350,000 and those who spend more than US$25,000 annually on travel. American parents ranked Canada second, while Gen Z placed it third. For mature travellers, Canada came in at number 10.
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Canada also performed well across several safety categories, ranking second for protection against terrorism and violent crime. It also came in fourth for transportation safety and second for the efficiency of its health-care system, behind New Zealand.
Despite its safety ranking, Canada isn’t entirely without risk for visitors. Tourists are warned of wildfires in parts of the country that have severely affected air quality in major cities.
And for those who want to explore the outdoors, the report states, “If you plan on exploring the Canadian wilderness, consult with experts (like park rangers) before venturing off, let people know where you’re going, study topographic maps before you leave and carry the same maps with you.”
Here is Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection’s full list of the safest countries to travel to in 2027:
- Canada
- New Zealand
- Australia
- Iceland
- Japan
- Austria
- Ireland
- Netherlands
- Denmark
- Portugal
- Norway
- Switzerland
- Italy
- Spain
- Germany
Read the full report online.