There’s good and bad wherever you go. Even in the world’s most peaceful country, Iceland, you can never be 100 percent safe.
But you can’t let fear stop you from trying new things, and Australians are particularly good at not letting it. That’s why we were quick to return to Vanuatu after last year’s cyclone and keep travelling to Europe despite recent attacks.
Then there are some destinations that although you or your client really want to tick off the bucket list, you should probably be a little wary of visiting this year.
The latest Global Peace Index (GPI) by the Institute for Economics and Peace, which sources and ranks 162 independent states, found that although the global GPI remained stable last year, a few countries suffered from deteriorating conditions.
Syria topped the list of least peaceful destinations. Image: Shutterstock
Destinations in the Middle East and North Africa were among the most severely affected from an upsurge in violence related to “sectarian strife and civil conflicts”.
Unsurprisingly, Syria, which continues to struggle against extremists, topped the list of least peaceful destinations followed by South Sudan, a destination that suffers from ongoing conflict with its northern neighbour.
Iraq’s rich ancient Assyrian history is swept under the rug as a result of ongoing violence.
Iraq, a country with so much tourism potential thanks to its rich ancient Assyrian history, came in at number three, while Afghanistan’s internal conflict placed the destination at number four.
Somalia, Yemen, Central African Republic, Ukraine, Sudan and Libya made up the rest of the top 10.
Surprisingly, North Korea wasn’t as high up on the list as some might expect, sitting at number 14, while the report proved there’s stability in the up and coming tourism destination, Iran, which sits at 31, after Russia (13), Israel (20), Egypt (22) and the Philippines (25).
Click here for the full list.
