An index measuring the relative strengths of a country or territory’s passports showed that Macau has slipped slightly in the rankings despite its index score remaining unchanged from last year.
The index, compiled by London-based consulting firm Henley & Partners, ranked Macau as 40th on the index with a score of 120, indicating the number of territories that holders of the passport may enter without visa restrictions.
Macau ranked 36th in the 2015 index, also with a score of 120, ahead of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (119), Grenada (117) and Honduras (116). However, while the strength of Macau’s passport remained unchanged in 2016, its trailing rivals gained ground; St. Vincent and the Grenadines was awarded 125 points, Grenada 121, and Honduras 119.
Hong Kong found itself in a similar situation. While the number of visa-free territories holders of Hong Kong passports are able to access grew from 152 in 2015 to 154 this year, its ranking fell from 16 to 20, placing it behind Cyprus, San Marino and Chile.
The Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index evaluates 199 passports from the 193 Member States of the United Nations, plus Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Kosovo, Palestine and the Vatican City. The maximum score a passport can attain is 218 out of the 219 destination territories.
The availability of visa-free entry to holders of specific passports depends on a variety of factors, including the economic status and social welfare policies of the passport holder’s country. Diplomatic relations, reciprocal visa arrangements, political stability and security risks also play important roles.
Simon Lee, assistant dean of undergraduate studies at Chinese University’s Business School, told the SCMP, “Hong Kong remains a safe city and continues to draw wealthy mainlanders – who want more freedom to travel abroad – to the city.”
Mainland China ranked 87th on the 2016 index – equal to Cambodia – with a score of 50. Meanwhile, Taiwan ranked 29th with a score of 137, placing it on par with Uruguay.
This year’s index was topped by Germany (177), followed by Sweden (176), while Finland, France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom came next, each achieving a score of 175.
By comparison, the war-torn Middle East dominated the lower rankings on the list, with Syria listed 100th (32), Iraq ranking 102nd (30) and Afghanistan in bottom place.
The index is produced in cooperation with the International Air Transport Association, which maintains the world’s largest database of travel information. Staff reporter
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