Views of the Nyhavn Street of Copenhagen, Denmark.
06-26-2018 (Photo by Maxym Marusenko / NurPhoto via Getty Images)
(CNN) -
Safety has long been a top concern for travelers when it comes to deciding which destination to visit.
But the world has been turned upside down in recent years due to the global pandemic and the notion of what exactly makes a place "safe" has changed significantly.
This could explain the changes to the top of the Economist Intelligence Unit's Safe Cities Index (SCI), which ranked 60 international destinations for their digital safety, health safety, infrastructure, personal safety and environmental safety, a new category for this year.
The "best cities in the world" for 2021, according to Time Out
While Asian cities such as Tokyo, Singapore and Osaka have consistently topped the ranks year after year, it is a European destination that now ranks number one in 2021.
This year, Copenhagen was named the safest city in the world for the first time, with 82.4 points out of 100 in the annual report.
Denmark's capital jumped from eighth place in 2019 to the top of the list, largely thanks to the introduction of an environmental safety section, in which the city scored particularly well, along with personal safety.
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No city in Latin America is in the top 10, but several major tourist destinations were included in the list of 60 countries.
For example, Santiago de Chile occupies number 33 on the list;
followed by Buenos Aires, Argentina, at number 34;
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is in position 39, followed by Sao Paulo, Brazil, in number 40. Bogotá, Colombia, is in position 41;
Mexico City, Mexico, at number 42;
Quito, Ecuador, at number 44 and Caracas, Venezuela, is at the bottom of the list at position 58.
Here are the cities that are in the first 10 places:
10.- Stockholm, Sweden
The European city scored a total of 78.6 points in the Economist Intelligence Unit's 2021 Safe Cities Index. The Infrastructure and Security categories were the best rated.
9.- Melbourne, Australia
Australia's capital Victoria was ranked eighth along with another Asia-Pacific city, with a total of 78.6 points.
8.- Hong Kong
Not only did it rank eighth overall, it also topped the infrastructure security category.
7.- Wellington, New Zealand
The New Zealand capital came in at number seven and led the category for environmental safety.
6.- Amsterdam, Netherlands
The capital of the Netherlands was one of the two European cities in the top 10, receiving 79.3 points out of 100.
5.- Tokyo, Japan
The 2019 winner, Tokyo, was ranked fifth on this year's list, but scored the highest in the health security category.
4.- Sydney, Australia
People visit Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, during a city lockdown on Sunday.
This iconic city ranked fourth on the overall list and received the highest score for digital security.
3.- Singapore
Next up is Singapore, which ranked second in 2019 and received 80.7 points overall in the 2021 index.
2.- Toronto, Canada
This vibrant Canadian city is one of six cities that have never made it out of the top 10 in the Economist Intelligence Unit's 2021 Safe Cities Index so far.
1.- Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen ranks first for the first time since the report was released in 2015, with an overall score of 82.4 points.
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