(Image source from: India Today)
Traveling is one of the favorite activities of people around the world, in particular, international travel has been on the checklist of many.
According to the Henley Passport Index, Japan has the world's most powerful passport for 2019. For the second time in a row, the country has got the top spot with its travel-friendly passport, with access to 190 countries. India ranks at the 79th position from 81st in the last year. Indians have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 60 destinations.
The Henley Passport Index ranks countries depending on the number of destination a person can visit without a prior visa based on the data from International Air Transport Association (IATA). One of the factors that have affected the rankings is the introduction of e-visas by Turkey. Previously a visa was available on arrival now citizens of more than 100 countries have to apply for a visa before visiting here.
Singapore and France have ranked at the second and third position with access to 189 and 188 countries respectively, whereas, Australia, United Kingdom, and the United States have dropped in their rankings. Germany and South Korea share the third rank with France. Another country making a gain is China, which has jumped by 20 places from 85th in 2017 to 69th this year. This list also shows that a lot of people are frequenting foreign destinations and the trend continues to rise over the past 12 years. A traveler in the year 2006 could visit about 58 countries on an average. Today, the average number has increased to 107.
The findings as well reveal the worst passports to travel on. Countries affected by war like Yemen, Syria, Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan are least traveled to and see a significant diminution.
-Sowmya Sangam
