South Korean travelers have ranked Singapore and Japan as the most secure and comfortable countries to travel in the world. These two countries were ranked first and second, respectively, not only for their safety and security but also for their overall pleasant travel infrastructure, including cleanliness, hygiene, and convenience facilities.
Travel research specialist Consumer Insight revealed on March 8 that Switzerland was identified as the country with the highest overall satisfaction among travelers in the past year from September 2022 to August 2023 in its “Overseas Travel Destination Satisfaction Survey.”
Following Switzerland, Spain, Australia, Italy, and New Zealand followed in succession. Japan claimed the sixth spot, while Singapore landed in seventh place. These rankings were based on a comparison of 27 countries frequently visited by South Koreans.
According to Consumer Insight, satisfaction with overseas travel destinations is determined by the attractiveness of “tourist resources” and the pleasantness of the “travel environment.” Singapore and Japan were both highly rated in terms of the travel environment, securing the first and second spots, respectively, rather than relying solely on the allure of tourist resources.
Singapore was rated first in five out of six categories measuring the pleasantness of the travel environment, including cleanliness and hygiene, convenience facilities, safety and security, language and local culture, and transportation and environment. Additionally, it shared the top spot with Japan in safety and security. In the remaining category, the cost of living and ethical considerations related to commerce, it ranked 4th, yet still secured the top spot in overall satisfaction in this area.
Japan, ranking second overall in travel environment satisfaction, shared the top spot with Germany and Singapore in two categories: cost of living and ethical considerations related to commerce, and cleanliness and hygiene. It ranked second in convenience facilities and safety and security. Additionally, Japan ranked third in language and local culture and fourth in transportation and environment, showcasing its reputation as a country with robust travel infrastructure, consistently placing within the top four in all six categories.
Both countries ranked in the upper-middle tier, with Japan at ninth and Singapore at tenth, in terms of the attractiveness of tourist resources, which includes food, shopping, entertainment, sightseeing, and relaxation. However, they were the highest-ranked among Asian countries. Particularly, Japan received the top rating globally for its food and shopping categories.
Consumer Insight analyzed that based solely on travel content and infrastructure, the top three travel destinations for South Korean consumers are Australia, Switzerland, and Singapore. However, when considering the cost-effectiveness ratio, Japan stands out as the top choice.