• The majority of the safest countries to visit are in Europe, one study found. 
  • Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection recently published a list of the world's safest places to travel.
  • Canada is the safest country for travelers, the study found.

As the year wraps up, travelers daydream about their 2024 travel plans.

Things like budget and distance are usually factored in when it comes to choosing the perfect destination, as is safety.

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In September, the insurance company Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection released its list of the safest countries for travelers to visit in 2024.

So, what makes a country safe?

BHTP said that the definition of safety has changed over time. Travelers now look for places without terrorist activity or disease outbreaks, where they're unlikely to experience discrimination, and where they won't encounter severe weather conditions, BHTP said

It's important to note that BHTP's list is not exhaustive and that it did not examine every country in the world. BHTP told Business Insider that the survey took into account 42 countries and 31 cities across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.

The study was based on a survey of 1,702 travelers who had visited specific countries in the last five years. Data from the Global Peace Index and the US Department of State, along with information on major cities' safety from the security firm Geosure, were also factored in.

The Global Peace Index, an annual ranking of the world's safest countries by the Institute of Economics and Peace, included both Japan and Singapore on the 2023 list of top 10 safest countries — neither of the Asian countries made it onto BHTP's top 10 list of safest countries to travel.

Below, take a look at 10 of the safest countries for travelers, per BHTP's study.

10. Australia

A panoramic view of Sydney, Australia. zetter/Getty Images

9. Iceland

Tourists visit Reynisfjara in Iceland. Manuel Romano/Getty Images

8. Denmark

A view of the famed colorful houses in Denmark. Scott E Barbour/Getty Images

7. Portugal

Narrow streets in Lisbon, Portugal. Jermaine Amado

6. United Kingdom

An aerial view of London, the capital of the UK. Karl Hendon

5. The Netherlands

Iconic canal with houseboats in Amsterdam. Karl Hendon/Getty Images

4. Ireland

The beautiful landscape of Inis Mór Island in Ireland. matthibcn/ Getty Images

3. Norway

Northern Lights, also called aurora borealis, dance in the sky over Tromso, Norway. NTB/Rune Stoltz Bertinussen/Reuters

2. Switzerland

The city of St. Gallen, Switzerland. Roman Kohler/Shutterstock

1. Canada

A view of a valley overlooking the mountains in Moraine Lake, Canada. benedek

Correction: December 12, 2023 — An earlier version of this story included data from the insurance company Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection and Numbeo for each country. As details regarding the safety measures were inconsistent, they have been removed from the article.

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