Ranking the Most Dangerous Countries for Americans To Visit

Forbes ^ | 3/17/2017 | Priceonomics

[grayboots]

Each year, the State Department issues dozens of advisories with the intent of keeping Americans safe as they travel abroad. What countries are targeted by these advisories, and what risks do Americans face by visiting them? Are State Department advisories effective in keeping American travelers safe?

We decided to investigate what are the most dangerous countries for American to visit as measured by State Department warnings and also by actual deaths. We used data from Priceonomics customer data.world, a platform that ties many different data sets together so it's easy to analyze them (you can download their dataset here).

We found that Mexico, Mali, and Israel have been targeted by the most travel advisories in recent years, but that Americans are more likely to face life-threatening danger in Thailand, Pakistan, and Honduras. Indeed, warnings and deadly violence are correlated on the whole. And fortunately, some travelers - at least those headed to the Philippines or Egypt - seem to heed these advisories, as those countries see dropoffs in tourism following warnings.

[Bonemaker]

“I’m so glad I got to see a lot of the world when I was younger, thanks to parents that liked to travel and the Army. I’m closing in on 60 now, and I’m MORE than happy to just stay put on the farm for the rest of my days. ;)”

Same here courtesy USAF. Zero wanderlust anymore. I’ll Let these idiot eco or adventure tourists wearing bermuda shorts in Africa take the bullet or snake bite for me.

[Bonemaker]

“I’m so glad I got to see a lot of the world when I was younger, thanks to parents that liked to travel and the Army. I’m closing in on 60 now, and I’m MORE than happy to just stay put on the farm for the rest of my days. ;)”

Same here courtesy USAF. Zero wanderlust anymore. I’ll Let these idiot eco or adventure tourists wearing bermuda shorts in Africa take the bullet or snake bite for me.

[mairdie]

I loved growing up in Chicago in the 50s. Can’t even bring ourselves to visit today. We moved to a town of 7500 in 1980 and it’s risen to 10,000. Traffic jam in the center of town means adjust appointment times to avoid rush hour. Went to visit a cousin so far out in the sticks you could hear wolves howl. I’ll take a small town near a Dairy Queen.

[dinodino]

I’ve been to a number on the list. Just because State issues a travel warning doesn’t mean it’s not worth visiting. You should use all available information to make the decision.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Agreed!

[Rennes Templar]

My daughter and her fiancee’ just spent four days in Morocco, staying in Marakesh and Casablanca , on a self-guided tour. They said they were treated with utmost respect and kindness.

[sageburn]

Wow, that is an accurate description of me! I will be 60 later this year. I was an Army brat and we lived all over the place. Then I worked for several decades for a federal agency with extensive travel. Now, I am quite happy out here in the middle of nowhere on the prairie of North Dakota. Nearest neighbor is over a mile away, lol, I have gone a couple of weeks without seeing another human being.

[Sybeck1]

I don’t go a couple of blocks from where I’m at right now in Memphis

[Liz]

Most assuredly grateful----b/c US taxpayers have poured billions into Morocco. Read on.

ITEM---Secy Hillary’s Two Official Favors To Morocco Resulted In
$28 Million For Clinton Foundation a naked bribe and a major scandal.

ITEM---Michele Obama's recent visit to Morocco netted Morocco 100 million dollars "to teach Muslim girls in Morocco."

====================================================

TIME LINE TO CLINTON/OBAMA RICHES--
The MO pols use to steal from taxpayers includes foreign aid.

2008---the US State Dept's Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) (chaired by Hillary) commenced a five-year, $697.5 million compact with the Kingdom of Morocco to reduce poverty and stimulate economic growth.

The State Dept's MCC compact invests in expansion of fruit tree agriculture (including olives, nuts, and dates), support for small-scale fisheries and fish-markets, enhancement of the artisanal sector in the city of Fes, and training for small-scale businesses across all these sectors .........with an emphasis on training for women and youth including literacy training.

2012---Former Secy of State Hillary Clinton shakes hands with Morocco's
Foreign Minister Saad Eddine Othmani in Rabat Feb 26, 2012.

2015--Former US president Bill Clinton, on a private visit to Morocco, was received in the Rabat royal palace by HM King Mohammed VI.

ABC News reported in may 6, 2015 that ex-president Bill Clinton and the Clinton Foundation’s Global Initiative were being hosted at a five-star luxury hotel in Morocco by one of the world's most controversial mining companies, criticized for "serious human rights violations" by the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice.

The Moroccan government-owned mining company OCP operates in disputed international territory in a remote part of the Saharan Desert and the firm has been criticized for removing the resources without adequately compensating the impoverished people who live there.“

Any time the human rights of a population are systematically suppressed in this type of way it's a serious concern, and I think it's worthy of attention,” said David McKean, who has studied the issue for the RFK center.

OCP mining paid $1 million to help host the event and throw a private cocktail reception, to the dismay of human rights activists.

source http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/clinton-foundation-taking-accused-rights-violator/story?id=30840212

2015---Hillary Gets Paid Off By The King Of Morocco: Bill Clinton got (a) paid speeches, (b) Clinton Foundation donations, and, in return, then-Secy Hillary would give US support from the State Dept. Despite Morocco's human rights abuses, Hillary was viewed as being “among its most ardent supporters in the Obama administration.”

WIKILEAKS---"This was HRC’s idea, our office approached the Moroccans and they 100 percent believe they are doing this at her request. The King has personally committed approx. $12 million both for the endowment and to support the meeting.”

Abedin said ClintThe State Dept has wasted billions of "foreign aid" tax dollars in flea-bitten mudholes like Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and other countries.

Much of the billions in foreign aid tax dollars are unaccounted for because a great deal of money was in untraceable bags full of cash.

Makes you ponder the actual amount that got to these dirt-poor places. Billions handed out based on the Clinton Greed angle....that Muslims turn to jihad because they lack economic opportunities and education.

Our tax dollars supposedly built schools and hospitals, based on cockamamie State Dept thinking that the US could win over the hearts and minds of the poverty- stricken locals.

These same jihadists are now pouring into the US plotting to kill us.

[SandRat]

Detroit, Chicago, St Louis, Atlanta & Miami

[bk1000]

With three exceptions, predominantly muslim. Why would that be? Racism, no doubt!

[dsrtsage]

“Any reason Israel is so high on this list?”

Because its full of
palesimians

[SandRat]

Detroit, Chicago, St Louis, Atlanta, LosAngelos, Sacramento, Milwaukee & Miami

[Presbyterian Reporter]

1. Majority of the ‘no-g0’ countries are Muslim.

2. No reason for Israel to be in the #2 position as traveling in Israel is quite safe. Again, it is Muslim terrorists who try to make Israel unsafe for tourists.

3. Simply solution—don’t go to countries that pray to Mecca.

[Tenacious 1]

I give the group (authors) some credit for trying. But the data they are trying to use is flawed if not outright bad. And they missed a significant data point, Business travel Vs. Tourism.

I travel internationally, mostly to Mexico for business. I have not traveled to Mexico for leisure in 20 years. Most of the folks I meet in airports are traveling for business. I do acknowledge that I mostly travel during the week. I do not know what, or how weekend travel compares to the business travelers as a %.

There are places that common international American travelers know not to go. And that “common knowledge” is not reflected in travel warnings or in any of the data that is mentioned. I cannot think of a good way to compile or create the data that would be needed to factually make an argument to force rank the most dangerous places for Americans. Anything put together would be subjective. But here is my opinionated “No-Go” list based mostly on geopolitical issues:

1.) North Korea
2.) Iran
3.) Syria
4.) Afghanistan
5.) Iraq
6.) Pakistan
7.) Lebenon
8.) Venezuela

[Rennes Templar]

“Our tax dollars supposedly built schools and hospitals, based on cockamamie State Dept thinking that the US could win over the hearts and minds of the poverty- stricken locals.”

Not much different from Dubya’s wasted trillions, eh?

[Broker]

PI and Israel are my top picks too.

[IronJack]

Golly, there go my travel plans. No Mali? No Eritrea? I guess I’ll have to visit someplace civilized instead ...

[Tenacious 1]

I believe the travel warnings are issued more often in places where Americans travel most often. In the case of Israel, I think there are some political motivations behind many of the past “travel warnings”. For Obama, this was likely a small way to poke at Israel in a type of passive boycott.

Some of the travel warnings might be as political as anything else.

[A Navy Vet]

"Thailand?"

The Wife and her Daughter did a once in a life-time vacation to Thailand in November 2017. When she went on temple tours and such outside of the Bangkok hotel district, guess what she called it when she got home? Yup, a "shit-hole".

Plus, while discussing the POTUS remark with my Wife the other night, she told me she actually saw feces on the sidewalks during her tours. She even saw a man urinating on the street as people walked by. I was surprised. I thought Thailand, being a tourist destination, was more civilized. I also saw some shit-holes during my Navy visits around southeast Asia.

Singapore was the cleanest and safest country I ever visited in that region. Of course, they are a small city nation and are ruthless with criminals. Think back lashes for simple theft. Drugs? - you die in prison.

I was stationed in Spain for 3 years and never saw a shit-hole. Plus, I did a 3 week back-pack tour around France, Germany, Belgium, and England. Shit-holes? I didn't see them, and I would go off the beaten track. I know they have the migrant shit-holes now. Wonder if Spain does.