WHERE SHOULD YOU TRAVEL IN 2027? SEE THE SAFEST DESTINATIONS

Global Guardian CEO Dale Buckner was featured in USA Today, breaking down the 2027 Global Risk Map and what it reveals about navigating an increasingly fragmented risk landscape in the year ahead.

“Almost half of the countries in the world now have multiple risk levels across the board.”

Dale pointed to Mexico as a clear example of how the map’s ratings break down within a single country, noting that the risk rating along the border and in cartel-active western regions can be far higher than the rating for Mexico City or Guadalajara, where conditions sit closer to medium or low risk. The map also tracks notable shifts year over year, with Jamaica, South Korea, and Hungary all seeing risk decrease, while Cuba and Ecuador saw risk increase.

GLOBAL SECURITY RISKS 2027: WHICH COUNTRIES TO VISIT AND WHICH TO AVOID

Global Guardian’s 2027 Global Risk Map examines where risk is rising and easing around the world heading into next year. TravelPulse recently spoke with CEO Dale Buckner to break down the findings.

When it comes to the countries the map flags as highest risk, Dale’s advice is direct: “Don’t go to these areas where there’s a hot war. Go somewhere else and keep that location on your bucket list for another year.”

Dale walked through specific shifts in the map, including increased risk in Cuba amid worsening blackouts and fuel shortages, and across several Middle East countries following the 2026 Iran War. He also pointed to decreased risk in Jamaica, South Korea, and Hungary, driven by improved crime control, political stabilization, and leadership changes, respectively.

The Houthi conflict is primed for further escalation as Saudi Arabia attempts to impose costs on Sana'a. On 13 October, amid the Houthis' coercive campaign against Saudi energy infrastructure and aviation hubs, the Saudi-led coalition issued an evacuation order to Yemen Petroleum Company sites and the Al-Sabaha power plant in Sana'a. The Saudis then proceeded with a major wave of airstrikes on Houthi energy sites around Sana’a.

ETHIOPIA | NATO'S EASTERN FLANK | COLOMBIA

In Global Guardian's monthly Risk Barometer, our Intelligence Team highlights current global hotspots with the potential to impact your business operations and travel. Read below for analysis on the threats we are closely monitoring this month and click here to subscribe for regular intelligence updates.

During the late evening hours local time on 10 October, Saudi Arabia announced that a projectile struck near Dammam's King Fahd International Airport. The attack came a day after Dhaifallah Al-Shami, a member of the Political Bureau of the Houthi movement, issued the following threat on Al Araby TV: "If Saudi Arabia does not stop its blockade and bombardment of our country, we will not limit ourselves to targeting Riyadh Airport.” This marks a significant escalation in the already destructive targeting of Saudi Arabia by Houthi drones and missiles.

GLOBAL THREATS FROM MEXICAN CARTEL AND WHERE NOT TO TRAVEL

Global Guardian Senior Intelligence Analyst Tomás Michael Carvallo joined Border Report Live to break down the 2027 Global Risk Map and the security conditions shaping travel and business risk across Mexico.

“Mexico is a patchwork of security conditions.”

Carvallo explained that the Risk Map reflects how risk can shift dramatically within a single country, with one region relatively safe while another nearby carries conditions comparable to a war zone. He pointed to Sinaloa as an extreme risk due to an ongoing cartel turf war, and to Michoacán and Guerrero, where cartels are increasingly using explosives and drone-dropped IEDs.

Explore the 2027 Global Risk Map.

Click below to watch the interview, which runs from approximately minute 9:30 to minute 24:00.

Executive Summary

The war in Yemen is escalating along with an increase of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. Following the 04 October initiation of a Saudi-backed Yemen counteroffensive, threats to Saudi Arabia are likely to escalate as the Houthis seek to increase the economic and political costs on Saudi Arabia. Global Guardian does not assess that upcoming major international conferences, including the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Conference, will be deliberately targeted by the Houthis. However, the Houthis have already intensified their cross-border attacks on Saudi airports, including three recent strikes on Riyadh King Khalid International Airport (RUH), and further attacks are likely in the coming days and weeks.

The Houthis’ primary targets in Saudi Arabia are oil and gas infrastructure and airports. Excluding the provinces of Aseer, Jazan, and Najran, the main threats facing travelers visiting Saudi Arabia are conflict-related flight delays and falling debris from interceptions. Saudi interceptors have largely been successful, but the Saudi government is censoring media around these events making it difficult to verify Houthi strikes. Repeated successful strikes on Saudi cities would indicate that the Houthi anti-Saudi strategy has shifted, raising the risks to personnel on the ground.

Global Guardian Executive Vice President Seth Krummrich joined NewsNation to discuss the attempted cockpit takeover on a flight that UAE investigators have called a terror-related attack, and what new details about the copilot reveal about gaps in airline vetting.

"It's terrifying, and it highlights a gap that exists between the airlines when they're vetting and validating who's flying these planes."

Krummrich noted that the copilot had reportedly been barred from flying in Oman over extremism concerns, yet was later hired by another airline, underscoring the need for better cross-communication between carriers. He also cautioned that if investigators find a link to Iran rather than a lone actor inspired by a group like al-Qaeda, the fallout could trigger an Israeli response and risk another escalation cycle.

Risk rises across the Middle East and the Americas after a year defined by two global health emergencies, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and AI-driven cyberattacks

Two months ago, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva looked set to win Brazil's presidential election and earn an unprecedented fourth term. However, with less than a week until the first round of voting, a far-reaching corruption scandal has once again struck Brazilian politics, tightening the polling gap of an election that will dictate the direction of Brazilian security policy and the Supreme Court.