Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection Names Safest Places to Travel to in 2022

Iceland, New Zealand and Canada ranked safest countries

 

 

STEVENS POINT, WI (February 8, 2022) – Travelers looking to plan their 2022 trips should consider visiting destinations like Iceland, New Zealand and Canada, ranked as the top three safest countries according to travel insurance provider Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection’s (BHTP) seventh annual State of Travel Insurance report. The report also ranks the safest cities in the world, with Montreal, Amsterdam and Tokyo taking the top three spots.

 

To determine these rankings, BHTP analyzes a combination of State of Travel Insurance 2022 survey responses from travelers who have been to the destinations and several third-party data sources. These additional sources evaluate safety concerns such as terrorism, weather emergencies, health measures and the safety of women and minorities.

 

Top 10 Safest Countries

1. Iceland

2. New Zealand

3. Canada

4. Sweden

5. Japan

6. Australia

7. Switzerland

8. Ireland

9. Germany

10. United Kingdom

Top 10 Safest Cities

1. Montreal

2. Amsterdam

3. Tokyo

4. Singapore

5. Sydney

6. London

7. Barcelona

8. Hong Kong

9. Berlin

10. Rome

In order to identify  the safest countries, BHTP asked survey respondents which countries they had traveled to in the last five years, and only allowed those who had visited the select destinations to rank them based on specific criteria related to safety concerns. BHTP then augmented those ratings with other indices including the Global Peace Index, as well as an index on COVID performance based on data from Our World in Data, calculating a weighted score that reflects each country’s overall safety.

For the safest cities, BHTP pulled destinations from readily available lists created by expert sources including Expedia and American Express, narrowing down to 23 cities. Similar to safest countries, only travelers that had previously visited these cities were able to rank them using a variety of safety measures and based on personal experience. Lastly, combining those numbers with recent safety survey ratings from The Economist and GeoSure Global, BHTP outlined final results.

The State of Travel Insurance survey also asked people to share what they feel are the top threats to 2022 travel. Not surprisingly, 56% said disease outbreaks, and 51% said international terrorism. However it is interesting to note these numbers are about 7% lower than the 2021 survey reported.

 

BHTP’s State of Travel Insurance research has been conducted each fall since 2015 by Polymath Research + Marketing, using independent national panels surveying thousands of consumers on future expectations in travel insurance and travel habits. Click here to read more on the safest cities ranking and here to read more on safest countries. To request a full report, members of the media can email the contact below.

About the State of Travel Insurance

The State of Travel Insurance is an annual survey that reports insights on not only travel insurance purchase trends, but also travel expectations. This year’s survey collected responses from approximately 1,500 U.S. travelers about their travel habits, their travel business, their experiences in 2021 and expectations for 2022.

About Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (BHTP) is a registered trademark and a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company, a leader in specialized casualty and liability insurance. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company provides underwriting and claims administration services for some of the largest distributors of travel insurance in the United States.  Created under the Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection trade name is the ExactCare® line of travel insurance, AirCare® flight, WaveCare®, AdrenalineCare®, LuxuryCare® and other travel-related protections. The AirCare® and ExactCare® products are provided by Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company. Visit bhtp.com for more information.

About Polymath Research + Marketing

Polymath Research + Marketing is a full-service market-research and marketing agency that specializes in crafting custom research and content to help organizations reach their business and marketing goals. PRM currently services firms in the insurance, travel, sports, and manufacturing industries, and provides research and content support to several top agencies. To learn more visit www.polymathpower.com.