Monthly Archives - September 2016

A number of countries citizens’ benefit from traveling visa-free–yet they do not reciprocate this priviledge. Countries with the biggest difference between their Visa-Free Travel and Visa-Free Welcome Indices in 2015 are (with Visa-Free Travel and Visa-Free Welcome Indices, respectively, in parentheses):

1. Japan, 59% (81%, 21%)
2. Canada, 44% (59%, 16%)
3. United States, 43% (59%, 16%)
4. Puerto Rico, 42% (59%, 16%)
5. Sweden, 42% (65%, 23%)
6. Norway, 41% (64%, 23%)
7. Finland, 41% (65%, 23%)
8. France, 41% (64%, 23%)
9. United Kingdom, 41% (63%, 22%)
10. Belgium, 41% (64%, 23%)

On the other hand, countries with the greatest difference in their Visa-Free Welcome and Visa-Free Travel Indices in 2015 are:

1. Cook Islands, -89% (11%, 100%)
2. Comoros, -88% (12%, 100%)
3. Madagascar, -99% (12%, 100%)
4. Mauritania, -86% (14%, 100%)
5. Uganda, -86% (14%, 100%)
6. Guinea-Bissau, -85% (15%, 100%)
7. Togo, -84% (16%, 100%)
8. Mozambique, -71% (29%, 100%)
9. Djibouti, -70% (29%, 99%)
10. Turkey, -69% (31%, 100%).

Over the past 5-year period, from 2010 to 2015 the average Visa-Free Welcome Index gained 5.9%. Leaders of visa-free welcome over that period are (with percentage point gains of their Visa-Free Welcome Indices):

1. Guinea-Bissau, 96%
2. Kenya, 94%
3. Mauritania, 94%
4. Laos, 92%
5. Myanmar, 82%

The laggards decline was significant–as they tightened their visa-free welcome. Most significant ones are:

1. Turks and Caicos, -37%
2. Virgin Islands, -31%
3. Pakistan, -19%
4. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, -19%
5. Hong Kong, -18%.