The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has issued an updated travel advisory list, warning British tourists to avoid 54 countries due to safety concerns — and a number of African nations are featured.
The list includes 11 countries that the government advises against all travel to, while 19 others have areas that should be avoided.
The countries the government advises against travelling to are: Chad, Niger, Libya, Mali, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, and Mozambique.
The destinations where certain areas are unsafe to visit include Algeria, Mauritania, Western Sahara, Tunisia, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of the Congo, Angola, Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Cote d’Ivoire.
Nine new additions to the Foreign Office’s red list are Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Iran, Sudan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Mayotte, and New Caledonia.
However, Jonny Bealby, founder of Wild Frontiers, offers a different perspective, stating: “While the world may seem like a more dangerous place, with 24/7 rolling news bringing us hourly updates from troubled regions particularly from the Middle East it’s worth remembering that statistically the chances of British travellers coming to harm virtually anywhere in the world is remarkably small.”
Jonny emphasises that the Government’s guidance is still important to follow: “The Government’s advice is just that, advice, and while one should certainly take it seriously, and be aware that it might affect your travel insurance, the acceptable risk any traveller is prepared to take will vary.”
Offering his perspective, Bealby remarked: “We recognise the FCDO has a difficult job evaluating risk sometimes we feel they get it spot on, sometimes we feel they are overcautious, and it’s always going to be impossible to please everyone. We also understand the issues of travelling against FDCO advice, and why people might want to avoid doing so. Besides, there are still countless fabulous destinations that are not advised against that will still offer an incredible adventure Guatemala, Oman, Kyrgyzstan and Cambodia, to name a few.”
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