As you plan international travel in 2025, it's wise to take into account the unusually high degree of volatility around the world right now.
In addition to ongoing crime, armed conflict, and political oppression in places such as the Middle East, Ukraine, North Korea, and elsewhere, recent months have seen toppled governments, civil unrest, and natural disasters in many other countries often regarded as relatively safe destinations that get large numbers of tourists.
In a report released by Europe-based risk analysis companies Safeture and Riskline, researchers concluded that the "security situation has deteriorated in 77 countries" around the globe.
Similarly, the annual outlook from International SOS, another security and health risk services firm, didn't lower the security risk rating for a single country in 2025 and intensified warnings for quite a few, citing "geopolitical tensions" as the most "prominent trigger."
In those international assessments, as well as in the travel advisories maintained by the U.S. State Department, the riskiest destinations for travelers remain the nations beset by wars, gang violence, severe economic trouble, and other grave issues.
But in 2025 there are also heightened risks in other places you might not have thought of.
Increasing Instability in Europe and Other Tourism Hot Spots
On the global risk map compiled by Safeture and Riskline (pictured at the top of this page and available for closer perusal here), Europe is depicted as a moderately safe area of the globe.
Nevertheless, analysts warn of an increase in potentially dangerous instability in the region. "Key factors include rising political unrest, public demonstrations, and environmental challenges such as storms and flooding," the 2025 outlook points out.
Among European countries that experienced issues like those in 2024 and could see continuing effects in 2025: France, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, and Poland, according to the report.
Likewise, the Maldives has moved into the "medium risk" category. The Indian Ocean archipelago known for luxe beach resorts is seeing an uptick in political instability, religious extremism, and adverse consequences of climate change.
In the Western Hemisphere, meanwhile, parts of Mexico have become increasingly risky for travelers. Six states—Colima, Guerrero (where Acapulco is), Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas—have been given a flat "do not travel" warning by the State Department because of the risks of crime and kidnapping.
Additionally, the threat of violence has prompted the State Department to advise U.S. tourists to "reconsider travel"—the federal agency's second-most severe rating—for several more Mexican states with popular resort areas, including Jalisco (home of Puerto Vallarta) and Guanajuato (home of San Miguel de Allende).
But none of the countries listed above are among the riskiest places to visit, according to the State Department, International SOS (which has its own interactive global risk map for travelers), and Riskline/Safeture.
10 Extremely Dangerous Travel Destinations in 2025
Here are 10 of the riskiest places to travel this year, according to the U.S. government and the independent safety researchers cited above. Click the name of the country below to read its travel advisory from the State Department.
- • Burkina Faso (due to crime and terrorism)
- • Central African Republic (due to armed conflict)
- • Haiti (due to civil unrest, crime, and limited healthcare)
- • Israel/Gaza/West Bank (due to armed conflict)
- • Lebanon (due to armed conflict)
- • Myanmar (formerly Burma; due to civil unrest, armed conflict, and arbitrary enforcement of laws)
- • Somalia (due to crime, piracy, and unreliable government services)
- • South Sudan (due to armed conflict and crime)
- • Venezuela (due to economic crisis, high crime, and wrongful detentions)
- • Yemen (due to armed conflict)
Note that this is not an exhaustive list of every dangerous place on Earth. Consult the State Department's travel website for further guidance about regions where visits are inadvisable for the time being.
The Safest Travel Destinations in 2025
Countries that were deemed to have especially low security risks in 2025 (by researchers with International SOS, Riskline/Safeture, and insurance giant Berkshire Hathaway) include: Iceland, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland.
All of those countries have level 1 travel advisories ("Exercise normal precautions") from the State Department.
To find more places that government experts consider relatively safe, consult recent stories here at Frommer's on the safest countries in Africa, the safest islands in the Caribbean, and the safest parts of South America.
Keep in mind, though, that international travel will never be entirely risk-free. No matter where you're headed, discover ways to minimize the dangers by looking over the U.S. government's travel checklist and our own primer on travel insurance to make sure you're covered if something goes wrong on the road.
