The State Department of the United States has issued 10 new travel advisory updates so far this month. The busy governmental department – which issues advisories as part of its endeavors to keep American travelers safe on their trips abroad – has made updates to its advisories on two occasions so far this month, on the 6th and 12th of September after a busy month of updates in August. More updates are expected to be issued over the next few weeks as we head into a popular winter travel season.
Notably, the most recent travel advisories issued by the State Department are on the lower end of the system’s warning levels, giving hope to travelers that the travel situation around the world is as close to normal as it has been for several years now. Here’s a look at the latest advisory updates published by the State Department, plus a reminder of what travel advisories are and how they work for travelers.
New Travel Advisories Issued – Information For Travelers
Yesterday’s advisory updates are the latest to be published by the State Department, and saw six countries featured, adding to the four countries that also received updates a week ago on September 6th. Published on an ad hoc basis, travel advisories usually follow the escalation or calming down of a situation overseas, and can be issued for a wide range of reasons, from a rise in crime statistics to an increased threat of terrorist activity occurring in that country.
Thankfully in the case of the most recent ten advisories to be published this month, it’s good news for travelers rather than bad. Each of the updates is either a Level 1 or Level 2 travel advisory – the two lowest travel advisory levels that the system has. This means that the situations in these countries should not be of particular concern to travelers. For Level 2 countries, travelers are advised merely to exercise increased caution when visiting.
A total of three countries have been handed Level 2 travel advisories so far this month. The most popular of them, Kenya, was classified as Level 2 due to the situation regarding crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping in the country, meaning that travelers should exercise increased caution when visiting. Travelers have also been advised not to travel to the Kenya-Somalia border at all, as well as avoiding certain neighborhoods in Nairobi. The CDC has indicated that there is a low level of Covid-19 in the country.
The other two countries to be placed in Level 2 are Timor-Leste and the Republic of the Congo. For Timor-Leste, visitors to the tiny Southeast Asian country are advised to exercise increased caution due to crime and civil unrest, with the CDC adding that the country has a moderate level of Covid-19. Travelers must increase caution in the Republic of the Congo due to crime, with the country’s travel advisory page adding that “violent crime, such as armed robbery and assault, remains a concern throughout the Republic of the Congo”. The country has a low level of Covid-19.
Seven countries have been issued Level 1 travel advisories since the month began, making them amongst the safest destinations to travel to according to the State Department. Here’s a list of them, plus their CDC-determined Covid-19 level:
- Angola (Covid-19 level: Low)
- Armenia (Covid-19 level: Unknown)
- Cabo Verde (Covid-19 level: High)
- Equatorial Guinea (Covid-19 level: Low)
- Montserrat (Covid-19 level: Moderate)
- Sint Maarten (Covid-19 level: Unknown)
- Togo (Covid-19 level: Low)
Travel advisories can play a vital role in the travel process from start to finish. Not only can they provide you with the means to decide whether or not to visit a country in the first place, but their regional guides and breakdowns can also help you plan your travel within that country. Whilst travelers are not obliged to follow everything they read in a travel advisory – and nor can they prevent travel – they should always be consulted prior to taking a trip to ensure your vacation is as safe as it can possibly be.
