Coronavirus case trends, based on available data, are mostly low at present in major destination countries of Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North America, South America, and also in South Africa. Most attention is now on China's strict handling of its outbreak under the zero-Covid approach, and the economic impact of that.
New Zealanders looking to go on an OE or jump several rungs on their career ladder, might find this year is the time to do it because, inevitably, more shocks could be around the corner. The same goes for people simply wanting to visit other countries, or to be closer to family members overseas.
If the world has learned one thing in recent times it's that major shocks have global impacts on different aspects of life, with that interconnectedness amplifying local problems. An example is in Sri Lanka where the coronavirus pandemic worsened an existing economic crisis.
Kiwis with itchy feet may want to consider the state of their destination and the wider world they're heading out into, and how well-positioned they'd be should another disaster occur. With climate change impacts likely to worsen in the next decades, pressures and costs on countries will only grow.
The New Zealand economy is battling high inflation and cost of living issues which, like Covid, have exposed the country's chronic inequalities.
Other countries are also dealing with woes dominating here - over housing and rents and spiking prices for food and fuel.
Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison is having to deal with rising consumer prices - up 5.1 per cent over the past year - during an election campaign. Inflation in New Zealand is 6.9 per cent, 6 per cent in Sweden, 6.7 per cent in Ireland, 7 per cent in Britain, 8.5 per cent in the United States, 9.8 per cent in Spain and a massive 61 per cent in Turkey.
New Zealand's unemployment rate of 3.2 is better than Australia's 4 per cent.
But when different factors are taken into account, including wages, Australia - close to home, with family connections and cultural familiarity - will be the first port of call for many Kiwi wanderers.
Apart from the coronavirus, personal goals, and economic considerations, another issue for travellers to think about is Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
During the early stages of the conflict, Nato countries were careful not to be drawn directly into the war and cautious about weapons supplies to Ukraine. That has changed significantly.
On Thursday Britain's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said that Russian forces must be pushed out of "the whole of Ukraine" and that victory for Kyiv was now a "strategic imperative" for the West. That followed Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin's statement that the US wanted to see Russia weakened "to the degree that it can't do the kinds of things that it has done in invading Ukraine".
That's a long way from offering Russian President Vladimir Putin an excuse to withdraw and makes it more officially a Russia versus Ukraine/Nato conflict. It's instead about doubling down on a perceived advantage.
Russia has cut off natural gas shipments to Poland and Bulgaria, and there have been explosions inside Russia near its Ukrainian border and in a region of Moldova.
These developments could result in increased risks along the borders of the conflict and may mean more pressure on countries such as New Zealand to add to the weapons stockpile for Ukraine.
There's a fair bit to unpack before you pack that suitcase.
