Natural Disasters: The Most Dangerous Tourist Destinations Ranked

A new study has revealed the most dangerous tourist destinations in the world, ranked using key factors: earthquake frequency per year, the average population affected by floods, volcanic activity, and air quality index. The results give travelers an idea of which country should maybe be avoided.

Study reveals most dangerous tourist destinations at risk of natural disasters

It seems like every day a new climate-related disaster makes the headlines, including earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and more. Journo Report, a journalist research company has teamed up with Intersec to conduct a new study to rank the most dangerous tourist destinations at risk of natural disasters. The study was based on key factors: the earthquake frequency per year, the average population affected by floods, volcanic activity, and the air quality index.

Researchers compiled the ranking from data gathered from credible sources for each country. Moreover, the indicators were normalized on a consistent scale before assigning equal rates to each factor. The process enabled the calculation of a composite risk index score for each country, ranked from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating great danger of natural disasters.

1. Japan

Landing in first place is Japan with a composite score of 87. The Asian nation experiences an average of 1,500 earthquakes annually, placing it among the most seismically active countries on the list. With a population exceeding 123 million, and significant volcanic activity, this places Japan on the top spot with an index score of 122.

2. Indonesia

Indonesia comes in second place with a composite score of 76.5. This Asian country experiences around 1,000 earthquakes each year. Taking into account its volcanic activity of 120, travelers should remain cautious, particularly when exploring remote islands and volcanic regions of Indonesia.

3. Chile

Chile is ranked in third place with a composite score of 68.5 and records more than 1,024 earthquakes each year. The country also features an active volcanic landscape, with 91 volcanoes. With its relatively small population of around 19.7 million, Chile’s high seismic activity and flood risks make the South American nation a challenging destination for travelers.

4. Mexico

Ranking in fourth place, Mexico has a composite score of 72. The country experiences an average 1,632 earthquakes each year and with its moderate volcanic activity score of 38, tourists should keep informed about weather and seismic alerts when planning a vacation.

5. Russia

Russia is ranked in fifth place with a composite score of 60, and reports around 215 earthquakes each year. Moreover, the country has significant volcanic activity with 117 volcanoes. Moreover, 90,475 people are affected by floods in Russia annually.

6. India

Coming in sixth place with a composite score of 59, India admittedly experiences fewer earthquakes (276 each year). However, the flood impact in the Asian country is severe and affects more than 4.8 million people each year – the highest among all nations in the top 10 list. One major concern in India is its air quality index, with an average value of 188, making the country a challenging destination for travelers sensitive to pollution.

7. China

China is ranked in seventh place with a score of 55 and its vast population of around 1.42 billion suffers frequent natural disasters. Among them, China experiences around 426 earthquakes annually and floods impact around 3.28 million people each year. With its moderate volcanic activity score of 10 and an air quality index of 160, tourists should remain updated on environmental alerts when visiting China’s diverse regions.

8. The Philippines

Ranking in eighth place with a composite score of 53, the Philippines experiences around 797 earthquakes each year, and floods affect 175,575 people annually. This Asian nation is a hotspot for seismic activity and typhoons, while its volcanic activity of 38 adds another layer of risk for travelers to consider. This makes it essential for tourists to monitor local weather updates when planning a vacation.

9. Greece

Beautiful Greece ranks in ninth place with a score of 52, due to its vulnerability to earthquakes and floods. The European nation experiences around 313 earthquakes each year with flood risks impacting more than 2,300 people. For this reason, tourists should be cautious, especially while exploring mountainous or coastal regions.

10. Peru

Peru comes in tenth place with a score of 51.5, and it records 516 earthquakes annually as well as flooding that affects around 51,918 people. While volcanic activity is less frequent, the South American nation is still in the top 10 for its seismic activity and flooding risks.

Readers can see the full data and research by visiting this link.

About disaster monitoring and early warning systems in these tourist destinations

A spokesperson from Intersec commented on the study, saying:

Based on the available information and general knowledge about disaster monitoring and early warning systems in these countries, we can provide an approximate ranking of their capacities.

Please note that this ranking is not definitive and may not reflect the most recent developments in each country. The ranking is on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most sophisticated system:

5 – Japan

Japan is known for its highly advanced earthquake and tsunami early warning systems, along with sophisticated monitoring for other natural hazards.

4.5 – China

China has made significant investments in its disaster monitoring and early warning capabilities, especially relating to floods, earthquakes and severe weather.

4 – Mexico

Mexico features a well-developed seismic alert system and has made improvements in monitoring other hazards.

3.5 – Indonesia

Indonesia is making progress in developing an early warning system, particularly relating to tsunamis, following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

3.5 – Chile

Chile has a strong focus on earthquake and tsunami monitoring and warning systems.

3 – Philippines

The Philippines has worked towards improving its disaster monitoring and early warning systems, particularly relating to typhoons and volcanic activity.

3 – India

India is also working towards improving its early warning systems, especially relating to cyclones and floods.

3 – Russia

While information is limited, Russia reportedly has a wide range of natural hazards to monitor and has been working towards improving its systems.

2.5 – Greece

While Greece has systems in place for earthquakes and wildfires, these may not be as comprehensive as some other countries on the list.

2.5 – Peru

Peru has been working towards improving its early warning systems – particularly relating to earthquakes and El Niño-related hazards. However, there may still have room for improvement.

The spokesperson added:

This ranking takes into account factors such as the sophistication of monitoring technology, the comprehensiveness of hazard coverage, and the effectiveness of alert dissemination systems. It’s important to note that all these countries are continuously working to improve their disaster monitoring and early warning capabilities.