A recent survey by Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (BHTP) revealed through analysing a number of factors that Ireland is the 4th-safest country to travel to in 2024.
2024 is upon us, and that means travel plans for the year are impending. With those plans, we want to consider the safety a country provides.
When analysing the safest countries to visit, the factors are always changing. As such, the countries that are considered are always changing.
In a survey released at the latter end of 2023, Ireland ranked fourth on a list of the 15 safest places to travel in 2024, jumping eight places from the previous year. Let’s look at why.
Ireland – the 4th-safest country to travel in 2024
Ireland has ranked as the 4th-safest country to travel to in 2024. This is a significant jump from 12th place the previous year.
The key reason why Ireland has ranked so highly on this year’s list is its lack of homicides. There were 69 homicides in 2022, which puts Ireland behind 16 cities in the US.
Despite its high safety ranking, BHTP warns travellers to Ireland to watch out for petty thefts, of which there has been an increase in recent years.
They say, “There’s been an uptick in petty thefts, usually of bags or backpacks in major cities. The level of crime is nothing compared even to a country like the Netherlands, but it’s something to watch for, especially if you plan on visiting numerous pubs”.
The travellers that BHTP ask about journeying through Ireland warn of the windy, narrow roads that you find throughout Ireland’s coastal areas. They also encourage travellers to leave more time than maps suggest.
The rest of the list – Canada comes out on top
Canada ranks as the safest country to visit in 2024, according to BHTP. The travellers the company ask about Canada’s safety say, “As traveling destinations go it really doesn’t get much safer than Canada.
“Violent crime is comparatively low and there is a low incidence of gun-related crime”.
The second-safest country to visit in 2024 is Switzerland. Switzerland ranks this highly because the country is “synonymous with security”.
In third place on the list is Norway, which has generally low crime rates, with Oslo being the country’s safest city.
After Ireland in 4th place, the list continues with the Netherlands, the UK, Portugal, Denmark, Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, France, Spain, and Brazil taking the 15th spot.
Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection – the methodology
Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection has been analysing the safest countries to travel to for many years.
The company has a long history of asking travellers where they’re going, why they’re travelling, and what they consider to be a “safe destination”.
The definition of a “safe destination” is always changing, hence why certain countries move up and down the list in different positions.
While the research by BHTP used to define a safe place as somewhere largely free of terrorist activity or a place that was safe from disease outbreaks, in 2024, it is a place where all types of people can “move freely without discrimination or harassment”.
You can check out the full list and methodology for the 2024 findings here.
