Britain slips down rankings of safest countries to visit

London: British news sites and newspapers on Wednesday lamented the slide of the island in the world ranking of safest places to visit.

The World Economic Forum ranked 136 countries in its biennial tourism report with one section focusing on safety and security. In it the UK has gone from the 63rd position to 78th.

The latest results have come in a year in which Britain has been hit by a series of devastating terror attacks. There have been four terror attacks in four months in 2017.

The list ranks Finland as No. 1, the safest country in the world for holidaymakers, followed by the UAE, Iceland, Oman, Hong Kong, Singapore, Norway, Switzerland, Rwanda and Qatar. Colombia has been named the least safe country in the world.

Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq are not included in the list. The list doesn’t take into account petty crime, and instead focuses on risks related to serious harm (violence and terrorism). 

To put things in perspective, India is at the 114th position, making it to the club of the 20 most dangerous countries in the world for tourists. Thailand too, at 118th position. 

Though India and Pakistan are amongst the 20 most dangerous countries for tourists, Pakistan, at 133rd position, is also amongst the four most dangerous.  

Canada sits at the 23rd position, Bhutan at 25, followed by Japan. United States is way down the list at 84th position, followed by Chine (95), Israel (103).