I have been traveling a great deal in the past few years, and many people ask me the same question. "Is it safe?" The short answer is yes, and the long answer is also yes.
Statistically, an American is far more likely to be murdered while living in the U.S. than while traveling abroad, even in places that seem dangerous.
Here are some statistics for some places you might consider visiting. Mexico: 60-75 American citizens per year are murdered in Mexico, out of 28-30 million visitors. Risk per trip 0.2-0.3 murders per 100,000 American visitors. Guatemala: 0-2 American homicide victims per year, out of 1million American travelers. United Kingdom: 0 American tourists murdered, out of 4-5 million American tourists per year. France: 0-1 American homicide victims per year out of 3-4 million American visitors.
Odds of being murdered in the United States: 6-7 murders per 100,000 people per year. With 330 million people, that equals about 20,00-30,000 murders annually.
These statistics show Americans are far more likely to be murdered here in America, than any place they might travel. I did not include many "high risk" areas, but the rate of homicide is still far less than staying home. In Israel, 0-2 American citizens are murdered each year (excluding times of war or terrorist attacks), Likewise, the number of American tourists murdered in China is 0.
So, for those of you still not traveling and say it's because of safety, think again. You may have many other reasons not to travel, but safety should be crossed off your list. Yes, it's tiring, flights are overbooked and delayed, and lots of other obstacles may upset your trip. But, many unexpected surprises may come from these disruptions. I think of the play, Come From Away, and know that the passengers that landed in Iceland, where they stayed for several days, will never be the same.
No comments:
Post a Comment