Key Takeaways
- Global Guardian’s assessment places Vietnam among the safest in Southeast Asia due to stable politics and minimal threats like civil unrest and terrorism.
- Vietnam’s safety profile aligns with Western countries like the United States, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom, showcasing its ability to manage safety threats.
- Despite overall safety, Vietnam faces significant road safety challenges, ranking among the most dangerous countries in terms of road-related fatalities based on WHO data.
- Vietnam boasts a rich cultural heritage, Buddhist shrines, beaches, rivers, and architectural remnants, attracting global tourists.
McLean, VA–Vietnam is one of the safest countries for tourism in the South-East Asian region, according to a study by a US-based organization, Global Guardian.
Global Guardian is a company that specializes in travel risk analyses and global medical, emergency, and security services. The ‘2022 Risk Assessment Map’, published earlier this month, ranks 163 countries, each in terms of its general “peaceful-ness” and safety for travel and tourism.
The report analyzes data on various countries’ political stability, neighboring country relations, nuclear weapons, internal and external conflicts, military expenditure, incarceration rates, and “perceptions of criminality” among other factors.
Comparative Safety Assessment
According to the study, the country’s stable political situation, absence of civil unrest, violent nationwide protests, and lack of terrorist threats makes it only ‘moderately’ risky when compared to other countries in the region, including Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Cambodia, which have been found as ‘not fully secure.’
The study finds Vietnam to be on par with the United States, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, and many other countries in the West in terms of safety and ability to respond to national and natural threats to safety.
Road Safety Concerns
Another report finds that the nation is the fourth most dangerous country in the world in terms of road safety. The Dominican Republic was found to have the highest number of road-related deaths per year (64.6 per 100,000 inhabitants), followed by Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and Vietnam, citing data collected by the World Health Organization.
Vietnam is a country located in the easternmost part of mainland Southeast Asia known for its abundant Buddhist shrines, pagodas (a tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia), its many beaches and rivers, and architectural remnants of its French colonial and communist history.
What We Think
Global Guardian’s assessment underscores Vietnam’s relative safety for tourists compared to its regional counterparts. However, the concerning road safety statistics highlight an area needing attention.
While Vietnam offers rich cultural and natural attractions, ensuring safer road conditions should be a priority to enhance the overall travel experience and sustain its appeal as a secure tourism destination.
