Winter view of Sparks Street in Ottawa city center. Ottawa, Canada - December 15, 2025. Erman Gunes / Shutterstock.comInternational travellers feel safest in Canada, according to the Global Rescue Autumn 2026 Traveller Sentiment and Safety Survey. The survey, which gathered responses from experienced travellers, found that Mexico was perceived as the least safe destination. Canada led the safety rankings, followed by New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Switzerland. Conversely, Mexico topped the list of least safe countries, with South Africa, France, Brazil, and Egypt following.
Dan Richards, CEO of The Global Rescue Companies, highlighted that "feeling safe is one of the most powerful ways travellers remember a destination." He noted that Canada's consistent safety ranking is influenced by the predictability of its environment and the treatment of visitors.
Both US and non-US respondents agreed on Canada's top safety ranking but differed on other destinations. US travellers ranked New Zealand, the UK, Japan, and Argentina next, whilst non-US respondents favoured Singapore, Japan, Switzerland, and Norway. Notably, non-US respondents were nearly six times more likely to choose Singapore as a safe destination compared to their US counterparts.
Gender differences also emerged, with men ranking Canada as the safest, followed by New Zealand, Japan, and the UK. Women, however, placed New Zealand first, followed by Canada and the UK. Mexico was consistently ranked as the least safe by both genders, though men were more than twice as likely to select it.
The survey underscores the importance of current destination intelligence and contingency planning for safe international travel. Conducted between 6–10 October 2026, it reflects the views of the world's most seasoned international travellers.
This story was selected and published by a human editor, with content adapted from original press material using AI tools. Spot an error? Report it here.
