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In what should come as a surprise to no one at this point, Japan has the world’s most powerful passport, at least according to the 2023 Henley Passport Index. The index has deemed the Japanese passport the “world’s most powerful” for the fifth consecutive year.
As of 2023, Japanese passport holders can visit 193 of 227 destinations visa-free — that’s 85{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} of the world, according to data from the International Air Transport Association compiled by Henley & Partners.
Quarterly, the London-based residence and citizenship advisory firm issues a report ranking passports by the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.
HENLEY & PARTNERS
Two fellow Asian countries ranked second: South Koreans and Singaporeans are eligible to visit 192 countries without a visa. Germany and Spain tied for third with access to 190 destinations, while Finland, Italy and Luxembourg came next with just less than 189 countries. Austria, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands came in fifth place with a score of 188.
The U.S. passport came in seventh place — along with Belgium, the Czech Republic, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland — offering citizens hassle-free travel to 186 countries.
“The U.K. and the U.S. remain in 6th and 7th places, with scores of 187 and 186, respectively, and it appears increasingly unlikely that either country will ever regain the top spot on the index which they jointly held nearly a decade ago in 2014,” the group said in a press release Jan. 10.
Beyond visa-free access to a certain number of countries, the report draws a direct link between strength and economic power based on gross domestic product data from the World Bank.
“The Japanese passport, for instance … gives visa-free access to 193 destinations. Collectively, these countries account for a whopping 98{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} of the global economy,” per the report. “To contrast this figure with a passport from the lower end of the spectrum, Nigerian passport holders can access only 46 destinations visa-free (20{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} of the world), with these countries accounting for just 1.5{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} of global GDP.”
Although the U.S. contributes the most globally to the world’s GDP, visa-free access (or lack thereof) to certain countries hinders American spending power abroad.
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Even so, visa-free travel opportunities granted by a U.S. passport exceed most of the world. Only 6{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} of countries worldwide give their citizens visa-free access to more than 70{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} of the global economy while less than a quarter provide visa-free access to more than 80{e9f0aada585b9d73d0d08d3c277fd760092386ec23cac37d50f4b8cd792b062a} of the world’s 227 destinations, per the report.
Henley expects the U.S. to remain solidly at No. 7. However, it highlights success stories of countries with upward mobility over the past decade — specifically the United Arab Emirates, which climbed 49 places since 2012. Back then, the UAE ranked 64th, with a visa-free score of just 72. Today, UAE citizens can visit 178 countries visa-free, with a bump in its country roster in 2015 when the UAE and European Union signed a short-stay visa agreement for 90-day stays in any 180-day period.
Other Middle Eastern countries, including Kuwait and Qatar, are expected to sign a visa-free deal with the EU later this year, further enhancing their Passport Index scores.
“They are poised for strong and much improved economic performances,” Dr. Robert Mogielnicki, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute, said. “Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup provided an unparalleled opportunity to market the small Gulf country to a global audience and the World Bank anticipates Kuwait’s growth to accelerate.”
Though the Henley index is widely cited, other reports — including last year’s Global Citizen Solutions’ Global Passport Index — named the U.S. passport the “world’s most powerful,” based on its ranking of investment, quality of life and enhanced mobility indices in 2022.
Although passport rankings may vary based on reports, visa-free travel is a key marker commonly used in ranking passports to determine how easy it is for a passport holder to access other countries.
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Chocolate Flake, beer bottle, hospitality staff and cooking oil shortages are meeting rising petrol prices and the threat of continued train strikes head-on around our coast this summer.
But to counter that potentially dismal outlook is the relative ease with which you can reach the UK’s beach resorts, usually without having to negotiate airports or factor in flight cancellations. And, of course, the warm welcome you are likely to receive.
With school now out in Scotland and Northern Ireland and just a few more weeks of term left in England and Wales, you could be forgiven for thinking it might be too late to book a holiday if you haven’t already. However, the ongoing trend for last-minute booking means that there is still capacity around the country, and prices aren’t sky-high. On the Isle of Wight, for example, while some hotels are fully booked, others are only a quarter full for much of August. Prices reflect availability accordingly.
We surveyed 21 beach resorts around the UK to give an overview of the average cost of an overnight break in the second week of August.
It is clear why St Ives attracts so many visitors, but where do its prices rank among other seaside resorts? (Photo: Getty Images)
How we analysed the costs
We looked at the average price of the following items, to produce an overall amount:
■ Overnight accommodation in a three-star hotel or B&B for two adults in a double room on 8 August ■ A full day’s parking ■ Medium portion of fish and chips ■ One scoop of ice cream in a cone ■ Cup of coffee ■ Bottle of beer ■ Can of fizzy drink ■ Bottle of water
The results show that Dunbar in East Lothian represents the best-value beach break in August, costing a total average of £103.50. The most expensive is St Ives in Cornwall, at £209.62.
Top ten best value beach breaks (see the full list and costs below)
Dunbar, East Lothian
Llandudno, Conwy
Morecambe, Lancashire
Eastbourne, East Sussex
Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
Blackpool, Lancashire
Ayr, Ayrshire
Felixstowe, Suffolk
Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Skegness, Lincolnshire
Belhaven Beach: Dunbar was a finalist in last year’s itravel Staycation Awards (Photo: Getty Images)
Dunbar, which was a finalist for the Best Seaside Location in last year’s itravel Staycation Awards, is 30 miles east of Edinburgh on the North Sea coast. It is said to be one of the sunniest and driest places in Scotland, where its historic harbour – home to a working shellfishing fleet – is overlooked by a ruined fortress. Birthplace of naturalist John Muir, Dunbar encompasses a country park in his honour, as well as sandy East Beach and a growing surf scene. Close by, there is also the sprawling sand of Whitesands Beach, and Belhaven Bay.
Also in the top five value resorts are Llandudno in North Wales – known for its 19th-century pier and Great Orme headland, which you can access by Victorian tram – and Morecambe, Eastbourne and Great Yarmouth.
Llandudno is where you’ll find the best-value fish and chips, at £7, while Skegness on the Lincolnshire coast – whose pleasure pier is being regenerated by new owners – has the best-value ice cream, at £1.90 for a single scoop.
At the other end of the scale, Brighton’s ice cream averages £3, with plenty of options for vegans, as well as gelato.
Sun and a bargain ice cream add up to a good day on the beach (Photo: Getty Images)
Where to find the cheapest…
Fish and chips: Lllandudno Ice cream: Skegness Coffee: Great Yarmouth Bottle of water: Morecambe/Ayr Fizzy Drink: Great Yarmouth Beer: Blackpool Parking: Dunbar Accommodation: Dunbar
Lancashire has two destinations in the top 10: Morecambe and Blackpool, where you can find a night’s accommodation for less than £100 in August, costing £86 and £97 per night respectively.
It is perhaps little surprise that St Ives had the highest-priced accommodation, averaging £177 per night. According to the St Ives Tourism Association, the town has the second-highest visitor-related spend in the UK, at up to £85m a year. It receives up to 540,000 day trippers and 220,000 overnight visitors annually year, considerably exceeding its resident population of around 20,000.
At the time of writing, in the week commencing 8 August, accommodation portal Booking.com was showing 25 available places to stay for two adults in St Ives, out of a total of 298. The resort with the lowest proportion of rooms available during the same week, and for two adults, is Saunton Sands in Devon (when staying in nearby Braunton), although stock is more limited – three out of a total of 32 locations, or nine per cent.
That doesn’t mean your options are limited if you are considering a last-minute beach break. The popular city-on-the-sea of Brighton has 50 per cent of its rooms available on Booking.com for the week commencing 8 August – a figure that rises to 53 per cent in Weston-super-Mare in Somerset and 59 per cent in Margate, Kent. Blackpool has a good supply of accommodation, with 63 per cent available.
Flag of approval
There are 80 Blue Flag beaches in England, 48 in Scotland, 22 in Wales and six in Northern Ireland. They are assessed annually to meet criteria including the environment, accessibility, education and safety
Of the 21 beach resorts we surveyed for value, just over 38 per cent have Blue Flag status in 2022. These are Bournemouth, which harbours an impressive five Blue Flag beaches – Manor Steps, Fisherman’s Walk, Alum Chine, Durley Chine and Southbourne – as well as Brighton, Margate, Whitby, Skegness, Scarborough, Felixstowe and St Ives.
Bournemouth has five Blue Flag beaches (Photo: Getty Images)
Several more – including Morecambe and Blackpool – have Seaside Awards for excellent quality and diversity. Bournemouth has dedicated wheelchair-accessible beach huts, beach wheelchairs, cliff lifts and a land train. Boscombe beach has Mobi-Mats to help wheelchair users move on to the sand towards the sea, between May and September.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach has an adult changing facility with Radar key access.
And while St Ives’s winding, cobbled streets might be difficult for some to navigate, it offers beach wheelchairs and buggies for hire from several beach cafés.
Southern star
Beachy Head inspired a poem of the same name (Photo: Getty Images)
An East Sussex resort offers the cheapest option in the south of England. Eastbourne, which tussles with Bognor Regis for the title of the UK’s sunniest place, is just 55 minutes to the west of trendier Brighton, yet a night’s stay is £45 less.
Sitting at the foot of the South Downs and at one end of the 90-mile South Down’s Way, Eastbourne is the ideal spot for exploring the national park. The walking route starts at Beachy Head, the chalk headland that has inspired the blank verse poem of the same name by Charlotte Turner Smith.
Revealed: The cheapest beach resorts
Dunbar, East Lothian Total average cost: £103.50 Fish and chips: £9.80 Ice cream: £2.60 Coffee: £2.30 Water: £1.30 Fizzy drink: £1.60 Beer: £4.40 Parking: £2.50 Accommodation: £79
