Sydney has ranked in the top-five safest cities in the world for travellers

As Sydneysiders, we’re well aware of the trials and tribulations that come with living in our city – excruciating house prices being just one of them. But all things considered, we think spending time in Sydney is pretty good, and are generally happy to proclaim that we feel relatively safe wandering the (mostly) sun-kissed streets. But what about visitors whose home base is one of our city’s hotels, and for whom Bondi Beach is the only known stretch of sand? Well, they're in safe hands too – as our city has been dubbed one of the top ten safest in the world for tourists.

Global consumer platform Forbes Advisor has put together a guide with its latest travel tips and recommendations, including a list of destinations ranked by variables that impact safety for tourists. The publication reviewed a total of 60 cities, basing the rankings on risks like the overall level of crime; the impact of crime, violence, terrorist threats, natural disasters and economic vulnerabilities on personal security; the level and quality of healthcare services and infrastructure; the availability and quality of city infrastructure; and digital security risks. Each risk factor was given a ranking to determine a total overall score for each location – so the lower the score, the better the safety.

Sydney ranked as the fourth least-risky city for tourists across the globe, with a score of 22.28, and was the top-scoring Aussie destination to make the top ten, with Melbourne coming in ninth place with a score of 26.17. According to Forbes Advisor, the Emerald City is the global city with the lowest digital security risk, the 10th lowest health security risk and the 10th lowest infrastructure security risk.

Singapore topped the list as the safest city in the world, with its low-risk level for health security, natural disasters and digital security, and having the best travel safety rating from the United States Department of State. Tokyo and Toronto followed in the rankings to round out the top three. 

The other cities that scored a spot in the top ten on the list were Zurich in fifth, followed by Copenhagen, Seoul, Osaka and Amsterdam. Here's the full list...

The top ten least risky cities for tourists in the world: 

1. Singapore
2. Tokyo, Japan
3. Toronto, Canada
4. Sydney, Australia
5. Zurich, Switzerland
6. Copenhagen, Denmark
7. Seoul, South Korea
8. Osaka, Japan
9. Melbourne Australia
10. Amsterdam, Netherlands 

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