Vancouver is a great city for solo travel, given its many sights, food offerings, and activities for the lone traveler. The city has, among others, mountains, parks, theaters, the Fraser River’s delta, and welcoming weather. However, it’s not clear whether safety is part of what Vancouver offers due to the alarming amount of conflicting information available online.
Vancouver is safe to travel alone because it has a low crime rate and friendly locals who are always willing to help tourists. Multiple reliable sources have ranked the city highly in terms of safety, friendliness of the local population, and tourist attractions.
This piece will delve deeper into Vancouver’s excellent safety record for solo travelers. It’ll also explore one part of the city you should avoid.
Vancouver Has Low Crime Rates
Traveling alone has many advantages, but safety is one of its significant downsides. A solo traveler is more vulnerable to attack than a group of travelers, so it’s crucial for anyone traveling without company to visit places with proven safety records.
Vancouver is one of Canada’s safest cities to travel alone due to the low crime rate. The U.S. Department of State
classifies it as a low-threat location for crimes against United States citizens.
Violent crimes are rare in Vancouver, but, like in most cities, petty crimes happen. If anything, you will likely lose your possessions due to negligence rather than a violent robbery.
Vancouver’s inhabitants significantly contribute to the city’s safety. They are very welcoming and willing to help a lost tourist. They’re also active around the clock, so you are unlikely to walk the streets alone, even at night.
Most people who are hesitant to visit Vancouver due to safety concerns have unfounded fears caused by misleading information publicized by individuals with selfish interests.
An investigation by CTV News found Vancouver police guilty of exaggerating crime figures to secure more funding for the force. A criminologist speaking to the outlet theorized that the local police department wanted to scare the public into advocating against a proposed budget reduction from the city.
Figures from the Vancouver PD showed that violent crime in the first quarter of 2022 remained relatively unchanged compared to the same period in 2021. The statistics showed that violent crime rates were lower than at a similar time in 2020.
It’s impossible to find a city with no crime whatsoever. For the solo traveler, the trick is to find a city where tourists rarely, if ever, get affected by crime: Vancouver is one of those metropolitans.
If you follow basic safety precautions 一 for example, avoiding leaving your belongings unattended 一 you’ll enjoy the sights and sounds of Vancouver without encountering a threat to your safety.
Vancouver Ranks High in Solo Trip Ratings
Vancouver also performs as well on crime rates as it does on solo safety ratings.
A February 2022 ranking by InsureMyTrip found that Vancouver is the fourth-best city for solo female tourists. The outlet considered factors such as safety and the quality of activities in the area.
Vancouver was the only Canadian city in the top 10 and was only beaten by Lisbon, Munich, and Madrid, which took the top spot. The Canadian City likely ranked below the podium finishers due to its expensive travel costs.
If your plan for Valentine’s Day involves showing yourself a bit more love, consider traveling to Vancouver. A ranking by Icelandair found that Vancouver is the best city for solo travel on Valentine’s day. Victoria, another Canadian city, ranked 6th.
Icelandair considered safety, the friendliness of local people, and the location’s scenery.
Vancouver ranked first due to its low crime rate, super-friendly populace, and breathtaking beauty during the final weeks of winter. The outlet said Vancouver ranked in the top 10 in friendliness and safety, two critical considerations for a solo traveler. The city is especially a safe place for women who want to stay out at night. [XX Ways to Stay Safe at Night as a Woman]
Area to Avoid: Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside
The Downtown Eastside area is one of the parts of Vancouver you’ll want to avoid. It’s not entirely unsafe for tourists, but it isn’t the most flattering area of the city.
If you wander into this area, you’ll likely encounter the following problems:
Homeless People and Drug Use.
The 2020 travel advisory by the United States government cited the province of British Columbia as a conduit for trafficked goods and drugs. Some of those drugs remain in areas like Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (the DTES).
Efforts to combat drug use in the area have led to an increase in drug-related programs. The DTES has a safe-injection site and clinics that provide treatment to drug addicts.
A Higher Safety Risk
Though the probability of an attack remains low, I advise you to avoid the DTES. Safety concerns from locals have risen, suggesting that insecurity is on the rise.
The tent cities housing the homeless in the DTES have become insecurity hotspots. In mid-August 2022, police found two guns inside a tent in the DTES. Vancouver police expressed concern for public safety, citing the proliferation of guns in tent cities. Authorities stated the suspects arrested used the guns to intimidate and attack the public and police officers.
People in this area might approach you for money or food, but they are unlikely to threaten your safety. Still, you should avoid this area because it has negligible tourist value and rising crime rates.
Another safety-related reason you should avoid DETS is the area’s danger to pedestrians. Statistics from the ICBC provide that Downtown Eastside neighborhoods have some of the most dangerous intersections for pedestrians in British Columbia.
The Vancouver PD suggests that the accident figures are likely higher since some people don’t report accidents. The government has taken steps to increase pedestrian safety, but the statistics show more needs to be done to reduce accidents.
Conclusion
A look at the crime rates in Vancouver suggests that you are unlikely to get attacked or robbed during your solo trip to the city. Rankings by two unrelated outlets rated Vancouver highly as a destination for solo travel, and that had a lot to do with the city’s impeccable safety record.
Despite the city’s high praise, I advise you to avoid its infamous Downtown Eastside area. The data suggests you are unlikely to get harmed, but the rising crime rates are cause for alarm.