As Memorial Day is often consider the unofficial start to the summer travel season, it’s no surprise the United States issued numerous travel advisory updates at the end of May.
The State Department was quite busy throughout the month of May with 27 total travel advisory updates.
Some were to destinations most Americans won’t be traveling to, like Venezuela and Russia. Others were to more popular tourist spots, such as Jamaica, Japan, Italy, Spain and France.
It’s a mixed bag with these travel advisory updates. Many travel advisors I speak with say they see the updates and make note of them, but it’s not something they let control how they sell a destination.
On the flip side, consumer travelers certainly do put a great deal of stock into them. Just look at what happened to Jamaica last year. It was raised up to a Level 3: Reconsider Travel, which caused a tourism hit. So their officials were quick to react to finally being lowered back down to a Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution advisory this month. They felt they were unfairly added to a Level 3 last year.
One thing that really surprised me with these advisory updates last month came with Switzerland. It received an update but maintained its Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions status.
Yet so many mainstream media outlets ran stories around Switzerland receiving a travel advisory update and saying they were given a “sudden warning” which was a bit too extreme when you look at the facts. The advisory notes it was “Reissued after periodic review with minor edits.”
A travel advisory update does not mean it’s an automatic warning to travel to said destination.
It’s important to remember these travel advisories are just advice. Take it or leave it.
But don’t let it fear you into not traveling the world, particularly with those destinations labeled Level 2.
(That said, I’d recommend listening to those Level 4: Do Not Travel advisories.)
What do you think of US issuing travel advisory updates?
Let me know your thoughts and follow me on social media: @EricBowman_
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