On Thursday, October 19, the US State Department issued a worldwide travel advisory that advises US citizens to “exercise increased caution” while overseas, “due to increased tensions in various locations around the world, the potential for terrorist attacks, [and] demonstrations or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests.”
This comes as the war between Israel and Hamas escalates tensions in the Middle East.
Compounding the issue are the protests that have sprung up worldwide which have led to “violent clashes at U.S. diplomatic compounds.” In New York protestors clashed with authorities as they called for the release of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas, as well as protests in Washington, D.C. and overseas.
But this doesn’t mean you need to cancel your upcoming travel plans. Experts recommend you heed the US warning but if you’re not headed to the Middle -East, look at your destination’s risk level and stay up on the local news there.
They also recommend travelers “enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive information and alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency overseas.”