Emigrate successfully, but where to? With the Expat City Index 2021 , the construction financing experts at LoanLink24 have published a study that results in a current ranking of the best cities in the world for emigrants. The comprehensive analysis of seventy cities on 25 influencing factors was first carried out in 2019. The new edition with the latest data, including earnings, cost of living, hospitality, quality of life and remote work, allows a meaningful comparison of the conditions for expats before and after the pandemic.

The ten best emigrant destinations in 2021

1. Ottawa, Canada

2. Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

3. Bern, Switzerland

4. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

5. Toronto, Canada

6. Canberra, Australia

7. Madrid, Spain

8. Amsterdam, Netherlands

9. Reykjavik, Iceland

10. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The Canadian capital of Ottawa successfully defends its top spot as the best destination for expats. Low living costs, an average working week of only 37 hours at full employment and attractive environmental conditions make Ottawa extremely livable.

Expats who prefer to stay in Europe should take a look at Luxembourg and Bern. Both cities offer expats the highest quality of life, a lot of security and good earning potential. However, they are also comparatively expensive. A family has to raise about 6,020 euros a month to maintain their standard of living. Expats also need to invest a little more for a permanent home. In Luxembourg, a property costs an average of around twelve annual salaries, in Bern about nine annual salaries.

The home office has celebrated its triumphal march over the world of work during the pandemic. In this study, the proportion who worked from home last year serves as an indicator of where flexible and hybrid working is likely to remain an integral part of the world of work in the future. With 47 percent of employees working from home, Luxembourg leads in this factor, followed by the Netherlands and Switzerland with 40 percent each.

German cities such as Frankfurt, Berlin and Munich have lost significantly their attractiveness for expats since the last survey in 2019. Other countries have become much more attractive than Germany over the pandemic. Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland (from 50th to 9) and Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia (from rank 29 to rank 10).

“The pandemic has permanently changed the way we live and work. With the increasing spread of hybrid work models, the number of those who are thinking about emigrating will also grow,” says Anna Friedrich, press spokesperson for LoanLink24. “With this study, we want to offer prospective expats points of contact that should help them find the ideal emigration destination.”

Other exciting findings

• Expats can find by far the highest earning potential in Zurich and Bern.

• No income tax (0 percent) is due in Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. At 57 percent, Sweden charges the highest income tax rate.

• With an average of 49 hours a week, expats work the longest in Mexico City.

• With a rent of 220 euros, you pay the least for a small apartment in a city location in Mumbai, India. Living for rent in San Francisco, USA, is ten times as expensive.

• The data analysis reveals Taipei, Taiwan, as the most hospitable city for expats. Foreigners are least welcome in Tripoli, Libya.

• In Luxembourg, public transport is free. In contrast, a single ticket in Bern costs about 3.90 euros, making it the most expensive in the world.

• The Russian capital Moscow is the most congested city in comparison. The residents of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates have the fewest problems with traffic jams.

• Of course, expats get the furthest with their English skills in countries with English as their official language. This is followed by Reykjavik, Amsterdam and Tel Aviv. Knowledge of English, on the other hand, is of little help in Riyadh, Tripoli and Bangkok.

• An expat family in Buenos Aires, Argentina needs around 485 euros per month to maintain their standard of living. In San Francisco, on the other hand, a family needs a monthly income of about 9,550 euros to make ends meet.

• On average, employees in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, are entitled to 37 vacation days. Only eight days of vacation are the standard in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Which countries offer the best conditions for speaking a new language optimally in the near future? The learning platform Preply has dealt with this question and conducted a study that should provide answers. The result is the
European Language Index
, which analysed the language learning environment of 27 EU countries.

According to the study, Luxembourg offers the best conditions for language learning. It is followed by the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Denmark and Finland. Luxembourg scores with an education system that introduces all schoolchildren to a foreign language as early as primary school. In addition, natural linguistic diversity in Luxembourg contributes to its leading position. In addition to Luxembourgish, German and French are also important official and lingua franca.

Ranking: The best countries to learn languages

1. Luxembourg

2. Sweden

3. Denmark

4. Finland

5. Cyprus

6. Netherlands

7. Malta

8. Slovenia

9. Belgium

10. Estonia

According to the study, a good language learning environment is characterised by a high population and language diversity, foreign language teaching as an integral part of the education system and a wide distribution of foreign-language TV programmes, preferably in the original language with subtitles.

With a placement in eleventh place, Germany narrowly misses entering the top 10 of the best countries for language learning. Although around 79 percent of people in Germany have knowledge of at least one foreign language, the corresponding language level still leaves room for improvement. Only about one in three Germans can converse fluently in a foreign language.

While the widespread distribution of foreign-language films in the original language with subtitles in countries such as Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Cyprus helps to promote foreign language skills among the population, foreign-language films in Germany are almost without exception shown dubbed. The high prevalence of dubbing had an overall negative impact on the result of Germany.

“It has been proven that it is easier for us to learn an additional foreign language if, on the one hand, we are already supported in primary school and, on the other hand, if foreign languages are naturally integrated into everyday life here and there. This happens, for example, when you come into contact with native speakers or when you watch a film in the original sound. With the European Language Index, we want to provide an overview of the different conditions for language learning in Europe,” says Kirill Bigai, founder of Preply.

For professionals and leisure fans: Globe Chaser App

Event organisers, agencies, tourism businesses and private users are delighted with an innovative app. Globe Chaser lets you experience your free time even more intensively. Scavenger hunt and rally, city tour and tips for the holiday are part of the app. Team building is one of the topics that is very popular here. So far, the app is available for common Android and iOS devices, but extensions are on the way.

Professional tour operators such as tourism businesses can test the application free of charge, after which favourable tariffs apply. If you are privately interested in this leisure app, you don’t have to pay anything at all, but get something extra from us, namely a monthly experience and the possibility to save your own gadgets, routes and experiences.

Your advantage: our target groups

When developing our app for tourism businesses and families, we thought of all those who like to be on the go or make sure that others come to their leisure time. Our main focus is therefore on travel and tourism companies, event agencies and companies and, of course, last but not least, individuals and families. The app offers tailor-made experiences for every area of tourism:

Globe Chaser App for Companies and Agencies

Companies and agencies that focus on team building can choose from activities that strengthen commonalities and allow a wide variety of people to grow together. Once planned, you can save tours, city rallies and scavenger hunts and adopt or modify them for new customers. In the application’s dashboard system, agencies have a calendar at their disposal that reminds them of the start of the next project.

If you need a route for last-minute participants, the One Click Route Editor takes care of the event planning for you. Agencies can also call up routes that have already been completed. The app is also a valuable support for leaders of youth groups, for trainers and teachers. Excursions in terms of further education can be designed just as easily and quickly as pleasure rides.

Planning aid for travel and tourism businesses

For tourism businesses and tour operators , the app offers new ways in terms of tourism. Sights on the route and at the destination can be easily linked to the route. The result is an exciting game in which all hotspots in the region are included. Adults and children alike get their rights.

But that’s not all: The app for tourism has a connection to well-known encyclopedias, so you can also draw on the full range here. The opportunity to present your own photos and videos increases the appeal of any hike or rally. Thanks to the app, you no longer need your own guides for the entire tour, it takes over the city tour for your customers on simple tours.

Stark: Scavenger hunt and city tour as a private leisure activity

Numerous experiences await families and groups of friends: With the help of the app, you can plan children’s birthday parties that will be remembered for a long time. You don’t have to invest a lot of time in this. You can combine birthday parties and scavenger hunts effortlessly. Exciting tasks for the holiday provide variety. For example, you can set search tasks, incorporate certain physical exercises and have questions answered. Once the task is completed, the way to the next stop is cleared.

What is popular with the little ones also appeals to the grown-ups here. You can make the bachelor party, the class reunion or the family celebration excitingly different thanks to the app. Self-taken photos document the rally, so that you have a retrievable memory. In the private sector, the app is absolutely free of charge, you can try it out and use it at any time without obligation.

App and technology

The app is currently available in German and English. You can use it on popular smartphones and tablets. The prerequisite is Android or iOS/IpadOS. Thanks to the app’s special technology, different devices with different systems can work together within the experience you create or choose, making it ideal for tourism businesses and agencies.

In times of Corona, there are a few things to consider when traveling. Of course, this also applies to air travel. There are new hygiene standards and safety precautions at the airport and on the plane. So if you want to go on holiday by plane, then precise preparation is necessary. In the following article, we provide you with a checklist in which we summarize the most important points.

What should be considered before the flight?

Before you plan a trip, you should find out about the current situation at your destination. Knowing the current notices, warnings and obligations is extremely important. You can consult this website of the Federal Foreign Office for this purpose.

Because a negative corona test is an important prerequisite for entry into most countries, many airports have set up stations in Germany where passengers can be tested for the virus.

The following applies to all guests entering Germany by plane: They must show a negative test at check-in at the point of departure – even if they enter Germany from a non-risk area.

Without such a negative test, no flight is possible. Excluded from this are recovered and fully vaccinated.

How to get to the airport

The journey to the airport is currently often done individually with your own car, which is then left at the airport parking lot. But that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. Bus or train work just as well, you just have to comply with the safety measures, which also apply at the airport.

When arriving by public transport and shuttle service, the Infection Protection Act must be observed in any case. If the airport is located far from the city, such as Frankfurt Hahn Airport, airport transfer is a good option. The tickets can be bought conveniently online, travel stress-free with the Shuttle bus from Frankfurt Hbf. to Frankfurt Hahn Airport and no longer have to look for a parking space.

Addendum from 01 December 2021:
And don’t forget to compare parking prices at the airport. Depending on whether you park near the terminal or in the surrounding area with a shuttle transfer, you can save dramatic parking fees. You can compare the prices e.g. on www.park-sleep-fly.net/de/

Conditions at the airport

At most airports, guests are only allowed to enter the hall with their ticket. However, the area that cannot be left by accompanying persons is clearly marked in these cases. Signs on site explain how guests must behave.

At airports in Germany, a medical mask is mandatory for all passengers aged six and over. These include FFP2 and FFP3 masks, KN95/N95 masks without valves and surgical masks. On the one hand, this mask requirement only applies in the airport building and, on the other hand, on the tarmac and on the flights of most airlines – as well as when passengers re-enter Germany. In addition, the airports have increased the regulations on cleaning and regularly disinfect the surfaces.

Passengers should check in online before the flight during Corona and check in their luggage at the automatic drop-off counters. This shortens the time they have to spend at the airport with a mask before the flight. Nevertheless, a time buffer should be planned, as there may be longer waiting times.

At check-in, at the gate, at the security check and after landing, the necessary distance of 1.50 to 2 should be maintained. Markings on the ground and signs help with this.

The conditions during the flight

Important rules apply when boarding the aircraft as well as at the seat. Above all, passengers should keep their distance. In general, every passenger wants to get on board quickly, but guests should wait a little longer and therefore avoid a large crowd. Many airlines currently board according to group numbers, which can be found on the board pass and call the guests when it is their turn.

These increased regulations for protection when flying during the Corona period also ensure that many airlines can only take one piece of hand luggage per person on the plane, all others have to be checked separately. The hand luggage should be compact enough so that passengers can quickly stow it on board and not hold up the other passengers for too long.

At the seat, the middle seat usually remains free, in any case the mask requirement applies to all passengers. This again includes medical masks. It is advisable to take several masks with you, as these are not provided by the airlines.

In any case, air travel is also possible during the Corona crisis. However, they should prepare for the new hygiene standards and safety precautions.

35 years ago, the Egyptologist Herman van der Velde, during his own travels in Egypt, found that group tours should be offered with more individual freedom in order to generate more unique travel experiences. With that, the Djoser concept was born.

From the very beginning, Djoser Reisen has cared about the local population, the culture and the nature of the destinations. Sustainability resulted from this as an essential component of the trips: Djoser is the first tour operator on the German-speaking market to offer CO_2-neutral tours. So far, more than half a million guests from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Belgium have been able to discover over 100 destinations in this authentic way with Djoser.

Individual freedom with the comfort of a group tour What sounds paradoxical is Djoser’s unique recipe for success. The individual freedom allows the local travellers to do something alone even without a group, to get to know the country and its inhabitants, but also the diverse culinary offers on their own. Of course, the travel companion offers parallel excursions and restaurant visits for all those who prefer joint activities. Djoser lovingly compiles the best itineraries for groups of an average of 15 participants, books flights with renowned airlines, authentic hotels, comfortable buses and includes the most important excursions and sights in his program.

Travel with a heart for the world

With Djoser you will discover the most beautiful corners of the world, from tropical rainforests to extensive savannahs and desert landscapes with little vegetation. At the same time, you will be completely immersed in a culture and experience contact with the local population up close. Atmospheric, family-run accommodation, special transport and culinary discoveries round off the unique travel experience and create memories for eternity.

This is exactly why Djoser has been working with small local partners for many years. Together, they come up with the most beautiful routes, involve the local population and support local projects.

CO₂ compensation included in the tour price

Sustainability is of great importance to Djoser. In addition to its commitment to supporting local communities, Djoser is the first tour operator in Germany to offset CO₂ flight emissions and include them in the travel price. Djoser calculates the amount of CO₂ released and, in cooperation with the world market leader South Pole, invests in various projects worldwide, e.g. in a solar collector park in Thailand, in order to save the same amount of CO₂ elsewhere in the world. All these measures have a long-term, sustainable positive impact on the climate, so that future travellers can also discover the beauty of the world.

Contact

Djoser Tours
Phone: 0049/221-920 15 80
info@djoser.de
www.djoser.de

Advertorial / With the kind support of Djoser Reisen

Poor connections, delayed flights, too few seats at the gate or inadequate food: Even if you are looking forward to your dream vacation in the future, the flight there can get on your last nerve. Which airports do it differently, i.e. particularly well, in terms of passenger friendliness, is shown by a ranking of the travel experts at Omio. In a study, they examined causes of stress, such as flight delays, passenger traffic and travel routes to the airport and combined them with information about the available equipment and arrived at the following top 10:

1. Madrid: Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport, MAD

2. Rome: Leonardo Da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport, FCO

3. Amsterdam: Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, AMS

4. Copenhagen: Copenhagen Airport Kastrup, CPH

5. Moscow: Sheremetyevo Int. Airport, SVO

6. Helsinki: Helsinki Airport, HEL

7. London: Heathrow Airport, LHR

8. Lisbon: Lisbon Portela Airport, LIS

9. Prague: Vaclav Havel Airport Prague, PRG

10. Berlin: Berlin-Brandenburg Airport, BER

Barajas Airport (MAD) in the Spanish capital Madrid is the most passenger-friendly airport in Europe. The international airport is comfortably equipped and has relaxation areas, showers and children’s playgrounds, among other things. MAD also impressed in the evaluation with a wide range of shopping facilities and restaurants. 133 shops and 54 restaurants and bars are available to passengers in Madrid. Only a few flight cancellations and an above-average number of punctual flights make Barajas the best airport in Europe.

One year after its opening, the German capital airport BER finds itself in 10th place in a European comparison. 35 shops and 39 restaurants and bars serve around 93,000 passengers every day. The new building has important comfort features, such as a relaxation area, showers, power outlets, pharmacy, lounges and smoking area. Two S-Bahn lines and a regional train line connect the city centre, which is about 20 kilometres away, with the airport south of Berlin. This means that BER Airport is solidly accessible in a European comparison, but does not stand out particularly positively or negatively in terms of connections.

The most punctual airport in comparison is Copenhagen Kastrup, CPH. 96 percent of flights land and take off on time. With 140 shops, no other airport has as many shopping opportunities as Rome-Fiumicino. Most of the gastronomy – 79 restaurants and bars – is located within Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport.

With 241,370 passengers a day, London Heathrow is the busiest airport in comparison. The airports of Prague, Oslo, Ankara and Podgorica are absolutely non-smoking areas. They do not have any designated smoking areas, the evaluation shows.

15 routes on which you can easily travel in a climate-conscious way

Sustainable choices are taking up more and more space in everyday life. Significantly more people want to take responsibility and change their behavior for the sake of the climate. This is also shown by a recent YouGov survey commissioned by the travel search engine Omio. The representative survey showed that travelers from Germany are willing to make some compromises for the sake of the environment: More than one in three (39 percent of respondents) would accept a travel time up to 30 minutes longer if the trip were more sustainable. For more than one in five (23 percent), a travel time of up to 60 minutes longer would even be justifiable, and twelve percent would even accept a two-hour longer journey.

Three routes in which the train is significantly faster than the airlines are (source: Omio):

• Frankfurt am Main <> Cologne
  124 min. faster by train than by plane and saves 25 kg of emissions

• Hanover <> Frankfurt am Main
  27 min faster by train than by plane and saves 33 kg of emissions

• Stuttgart <> Paris
  15 min. faster by train than by plane and saves 74 kg of emissions

It is hardly surprising that members of GenZ are much more concerned about the environment. In this group, 69 percent of respondents accept a longer travel time in favor of the climate, compared to only 56 percent of the population as a whole. In general, respondents in Germany are quite willing to use the train instead of the plane. Almost one in two respondents (45 percent) say they prefer trains to planes if the connection is faster. The long-distance bus, on the other hand, is not so well received. When deciding between bus or plane, the price seems to play a role above all. One in five respondents would choose the bus if the ticket was significantly cheaper.

Routes in which the train is not significantly slower than the plane (source: Omio):

• Frankfurt am Main <> Paris, +22 min., but 63 kg emissions saved

• Frankfurt am Main <> Munich, +30 min., but 38 kg emissions saved

• Berlin <> Food, +32 min., but 49 kg emissions saved

• Düsseldorf <> Hamburg, +34 min., but 47 kg of emissions saved

• Frankfurt am Main <> Amsterdam, +39 min., but 48 kg emissions saved

• Munich <> Zurich, +41 min., but 43 kg of emissions saved

• Munich <> Vienna, +42 min., but 62 kg of emissions saved

• Hamburg <> Frankfurt am Main, +44 min., but 68 kg of emissions saved

• Berlin <> Munich, +47 min., but 48 kg of emissions saved

• Hanover <> Amsterdam, +55 min., but 47 kg of emissions saved

• Berlin <> Frankfurt am Main, +58 min., but 49 kg of emissions saved

• <> Cologne Hamburg, + 59 min., but 195 kg emissions saved