Canada has been named the safest place to travel to in 2024.
The ranking was done by Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, who had Canada at number 6 a year ago. But this year, it climbed to the top, besting Switzerland and Norway for the top spot.
"After years of doing this, it’s clear that travelers think that Canada, Northern Europe, Australia and New Zealand are pretty safe places," they said in the blog post making the announcement.
As for why Canada placed first over the rest, they credit "cold weather and low population density," but they also warned readers about natural disasters, such as "wildfires."
They also quoted travel site Gap Year Travel Store, who said: “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."
According to the post, BHTP considered a safe place to be "free of terrorist activity. Then it became a place that was safe from disease outbreaks. Now it’s a place where all types of people can move about freely without discrimination or harassment."
The post is also quick to say the list isn't predictive, meaning Canada may be safe today but could tumble down the list. It also doesn't speak for the entire country.
"It doesn’t account for the difference between being in Toronto or in northern Quebec where wildfires are raging," it said. Of course, at this time it's not wildfire season in Canada, although that could change in the spring and summer.
