Libya listed as extremely dangerous for travelling by International SOS Index

Countries like Libya, Mali, South Sudan, Somalia, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen are among some of the countries that have been categorized under “Extreme Travel Security Risk,” where government control and law and order may be minimal or non-existent across large areas.

“Serious threat of violent attacks by armed groups targeting travelers and international assignees. Government and transport services are barely functional. Large parts of the country are inaccessible to foreigners,” the experts stated.

According to the map, the safest travel destinations where travel security risks are “insignificant” are Norway, Finland, Denmark, Greenland, Slovenia and Switzerland.

High travel medical risks

It is not just political unrest, terrorism and petty crime that travelers should consider when choosing their destinations.

Some countries pose higher medical risks than others, be it limited or virtually non-existent healthcare, dental services or primary care; the prevalence of food and waterborne-infections; or hotspots for outbreaks of life-threatening infectious diseases like malaria or cholera.

Countries that carry “very high travel medical risks” include many of the same countries deemed most dangerous for security, including Libya, Somalia, Yemen, South Sudan, Iraq and Afghanistan.