The Foreign Office has issued a ‘no travel’ advisory for 24 countries, effectively banning UK holidaymakers from these destinations – the list includes some predictable entries as well as a few surprises
The Foreign Office has issued a ‘no travel’ advisory for 24 countries, effectively putting them off-limits for UK holidaymakers.
The list includes some expected entries as well as a few surprises. At present, the Foreign Office strongly advises against all but essential travel to these 24 ‘blacklisted’ destinations: Afghanistan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, and Niger.
Also on the list are North Korea, Palestinian territories, Russia, Somalia, Somaliland, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Yemen.
In its advisory for Afghanistan, the UK Foreign Office warns that “the security situation is volatile” and travel through the country is extremely dangerous, according to LeedsLive. British nationals are also at a “heightened risk of being detained” in Afghanistan.
The Foreign Office further advises against all travel to Russia due to its ongoing invasion of Ukraine, describing the situation there as “unpredictable”. It’s crucial to check Foreign Office travel warnings before travelling abroad.
Remember, your travel insurance may be invalidated if you travel against Foreign Office advice, and consular support may be limited in some cases.
Responding to the list, one anonymous British tourist went on record about their trip to St Petersburg in 2019, saying: “My wife and I visited St Petersburg in 2019. It was stunning and the people were very friendly. The Hermitage museum and the churches and cathedrals are breathtaking. We also visited the Summer Palace which is a must see. Would love to go back as we were only there for 4 days.”
Another Brit urged others to consider visiting St Petersburg after the ongoing war concludes: “The Church of Our Saviour on the Spilled Blood on Naberezhnaya Kanala Griboyedova, St Petersburg. When this war is finished, St Petersburg should be on everyone’s list of places to visit.”
A third tourist offered up hard data: “Pretoria, Durban, Caracas, Rio all around crime index 81, worst in Europe Marseilles at 65. London mid table 55, even Coventry has higher crime index.”
