Samoa has been ranked one of the most welcoming countries for 2022.
According to CNN travel, passport power is on the rise around the world, with countries, in general, becoming more welcome and — with Covid restrictions increasingly lifted — we are in fact in a golden age of global mobility.
The continent that has embraced this open travel environment more than anywhere else is Africa, and particularly Central and West Africa. 15 of the ranking’s 23 “most welcoming” countries are to be found there, from Angola to Malawi to South Sudan.
Then there are the island nations, Maldives, Samoa and Tuvalu among them, whose local economies also could do with the boost that visitors and migrants bring.
For the busiest of business travelers, who regularly find themselves called to fly to a string of countries at short notice, up-to-date information on which countries require visas or electronic travel authorizations (eTAs) is essential.
That’s where Passport Indexes come in. There are several rival indexes on the market, including Arton Capital’s Passport Index and the Henley Passport Index, which measure the relative clout of citizens’ travel documents according to how many countries its holders can visit visa-free or visa-on-demand.
On the flip side, though, are the countries whose doors are most open — in visa terms, at least. Arton Capital measures these in its Welcoming Countries Rank and its 2022 list provides some fascinating insights into the current state of global mobility.
The ranking is updated in real time, as frequently as new visa waivers and changes are implemented.