A new study by Forbes Advisor has revealed that Switzerland is the safest European country to travel to this summer.
The research analysed metrics such as the quality of bathing water, quality of healthcare and the rate of thefts and homicides and merged the results into a final safety score.
According to the findings, Switzerland is the safest country to visit this year, with a Safety Score of 88.3.
Switzerland
Switzerland has the best quality of healthcare out of all the 29 European countries analysed in the research (893 out of 1000 according to the Euro Health Consumer Index), followed by the Netherlands (883) and Denmark (885).
The country ranks sixth in the ranking for the best quality of bathing water, with 93% of bathing waters in the country is excellent quality, following Cyprus (100%), Austria and Greece (98%) Malta (97%) and Croatia (96%), based on data from the European Environment Agency.
The study also considered pollution levels, based on measurements of atmospheric particulate matter that have a diameter of fewer than 2.5 micrometres (PM2.5) from IQAir.
Switzerland’s average PM2.5 concentration of 10.8 means it has the tenth cleanest air on the list, while the rate of homicides according to Eurostat is low compared to other countries, at 5.7 per million, amounting to 50 homicides in 2019.
Slovenia
Registering one of the lowest homicide rates, amounting to 4.8 per million, Slovenia is the second safest country to travel to according to the findings, with a Safety Score of 82.3.
With average pollution levels (13.3 PM2.5), and healthcare quality (678), the country’s bathing water also performs well, with 85% rated as excellent.
Portugal
With a Safety Score of 82.1, Portugal is the third safest country to visit this summer.
Ranking seventh for the excellent quality of water (93%) with Switzerland and Germany, Portugal is fourth for quality of air, with one of the lowest air pollution rates (7.1 PM2.5), after Finland (5.5 PM2.5), Estonia (5.9 PM2.5), and Sweden (6.6 PM2.5).
Portugal ranks tenth for healthcare quality after Germany (754).
Austria
With a total index score of 81.4, Austria is the fourth safest country to travel to in 2022.
The country has one of the highest percentages of excellent bathing water out of all the countries analysed (98%), second only to Cyprus (100%) and ranks seventh for quality of healthcare (799 according to the Health Consumer Index), following Sweden (800) and Finland (839).
The number of homicides is also low compared to other countries, amounting to 8.2 per million people.
Germany
With a final Safety Score of 81.2, Germany is the fifth safest country to visit in 2022.
The country’s percentage of excellent bathing water amounts to 93%, making it mainly safe for swimmers and tourists.
Eighth for best air quality (with a pollution level of 10.6 PM2.5), and a low number of homicides per million (6.9), Germany is the ideal destination for all sorts of travellers.
A spokesperson for Forbes Advisor comments on the findings:
“Safety can be a decisive factor when people are considering where to spend their holidays, and these figures show there are considerable differences across Europe when measuring factors such as the quality of bathing waters or the levels of theft.
“These numbers shed a light on the importance of travel insurance when moving around different countries. Being covered by travel insurance means you can receive financial compensation for losses as well as covering medical expenses in the country you are visiting, making the experience as smooth and calm as possible.”
For more information, please visit Forbes Advisor.
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