Safest Destinations To Travel Based on Lowest Threat of Disease

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will ultimately change how people travel and could lead many to pay closer attention to their destination's history with infectious diseases. Leading health insights company LetsGetChecked recently delved into 24 years and more than 2,800 disease outbreaks to reveal the safest countries from infectious diseases. The study shows that there are just over two dozen destinations around the world that have only had one outbreak in the past three decades. Here's how they stack up based on region.

The Caribbean leads the way in terms of preventing disease outbreaks, the research shows. Here, Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, St. Martin, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago have each only experienced one disease outbreak since 1996, making this coveted region one of the safest when it comes to the lowest threat of disease. What's more, it's currently one of the most accessible regions for Americans in the time of COVID-19.

Six European countries are also among the 26 locations that have seen only one outbreak over the last 24 years, but the list might surprise travelers. Albania, Sweden, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Ireland and Norway have set the bar for the continent in terms of the lowest threat of disease, LetsGetChecked found.

In Africa, Algeria, Gabon, Gambia, Morocco, Lesotho and Equatorial Guinea have all fared extremely well in avoiding outbreaks, with each seeing just one since 1996. Interestingly, six of the top 10 countries with the highest number of outbreaks over that same time period are located in Africa. The Democratic Republic of Congo ranks worst with 242 outbreaks but Egypt (114), Uganda (77), West Africa (58), Nigeria (49) and Sudan (40) are also among the top 10 most dangerous.

Like the Caribbean, Europe and Africa, Asia boasts six destinations with only one outbreak of disease over the last 24 years, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Laos, the Maldives, Palestine and Kyrgyzstan. The Maldives is currently open to American travelers who are willing to undergo COVID-19 testing ahead of their arrival.

The South Pacific, French Polynesia-home to highly sought-after destinations such as Tahiti and Bora Bora-is among the world's lowest-risk destinations when it comes to the threat of disease outbreaks. Like several Caribbean destinations and the Maldives, French Polynesia is open to Americans who get tested for COVID-19 this winter.

North America's lone entry among the 26 destinations with only one outbreak since 1996 is Guatemala. Nonetheless, the country is currently one of many to receive a Level 4 risk assessment (very high) for COVID-19 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). With 52 outbreaks over the last 24 years, the United States ranks as the eighth-most dangerous country in terms of disease threat.