According to the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, for intrepid travelers, the list of destinations is pretty expansive. There are, after all, close to 200 countries and territories around the world. While most destinations are open to tourists — that is, if you can get there — there are places in the world where travel is ill-advised or dangerous.
The UK Foreign Office has issued an updated advisory, recommending British citizens to abstain from traveling to 24 foreign countries. The countries on the list include Russia, Belarus, Iran, Venezuela, North Korea, and other states, that may appear relatively safe for locals but pose risks for tourists.
British travelers are reminded to remember that their travel insurance could be invalidated if they travel against Foreign Office advice and in some cases there may be a lack of consular support.
Here are some of the ‘high risk’ places Brits currently shouldn’t visit:
- Afghanistan
- Belarus
- Burkina Faso
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Haiti
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel
- Lebanon
- Mali
- Niger
- North Korea
- Palestinian territories
- Russia
- Somalia
- Somaliland
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Syria
- Ukraine
- Venezuela
- Yemen
Israel, previously a popular tourist destination for British holidaymakers, is now on the list of countries not recommended for traveling to at present time. UK authorities are also warning British citizens against travel to the western regions of Ukraine due to the ‘risk of conflicts.’
Many countries on the UK Foreign Office’s list also have high levels of crime and political instability. For example, there are frequent protests and riots in Haiti and Niger, and there are no British consular posts in these countries.
