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Russians perceive US, France as most dangerous countries for travel, survey shows

Russians are reported to believe that the world's safest travel destinations include the Maldives, the Seychelles and the United Arab Emirates

MOSCOW, July 25. /TASS/. Half of Russians surveyed view the United States, France, Mexico, India and Tunisia as the most dangerous countries for travel, according to a poll conducted by Ozon Travel and Renaissance Insurance.

The online poll was conducted in July 2023 among 1,579 respondents over 18 years of age in cities with one million or more inhabitants.

"Russians believe that the world’s safest travel destinations are: the Maldives (71%), the Seychelles (68%) and the United Arab Emirates (68%). The list of the most dangerous countries for travel includes the United States (53%), France (49%), Mexico (48%), India (47%) and Tunisia (47%)," the pollsters said.

The emergence of new viruses is what keeps one in four Russians (28%) from traveling overseas. One in five Russians (21%) fear encountering difficulties in returning home to Russia. Another 11% are concerned about facing negative attitudes from locals.

The poll also revealed that the majority of Russian travelers (80%) are proactive in taking measures to protect their health and safety before going on a trip. A total of 25% get vaccinated against illnesses and infections before traveling. As many as 15% of those polled inform themselves about the cultural practices of their destination country. Another 11% carefully plan their travel routes, 9% pack medicines for all types of health emergencies, and 5% of travelers purchase insurance policies covering various types of travel-related risks.

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