An intrepid travel agent I know called the other day to tell me about his recent 12-day familiarization trip to Iran. Iran? Yes, he said. He and his wife along with 12 other agents journeyed there on a tour organized by a Canadian operator. The agents had a fascinating time, he said, and obviously lived to tell about it.
As Rex Fritschi, president of Rex Travel in Chicago, described his Iranian experience, my thoughts flashed to the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. That year Islamic fundamentalists led by the Ayatollah Khomeini seized 52 American diplomats, held them for 444 days and decried the U.S. as the “Great Satan.” While moderating slightly in recent months, Iran still supports Arab terrorists and rejects women’s rights.
Although the whole world often seems risky these days, the U.S. State Department warns against travel to 22 countries.
A travel warning doesn’t prohibit people from visiting a country, but cautions them against it. It’s the strongest means the State Department has to advise Americans traveling abroad.
In its warning, extended on July 8, the State Department “warns all U.S. citizens against travel to Iran, which remains dangerous because of the generally anti-American atmosphere and Iranian government hostility to the U.S. government. U.S. citizens traveling to Iran have been detained without charge, arrested and harassed by Iranian authorities.”
“I maintain that Iran is going to become a hot destination even though it’s under a travel warning and there’s no American embassy in the country,” said Fritschi.
Although Fritschi and the other agents encountered no difficulties and toured splendid sights, I don’t think many Americans will queue up for a trip to Iran. The fact that several Americans travel agents visited Iran with a Canadian tour operator’s group isn’t a definitive signal that the Islamic nation suddenly loves U.S. citizens.
In today’s quirky world, it’s prudent to know that the State Department issues these warnings. The warnings are triggered when the State Department decides, based on relevant information, that Americans avoid travel to certain countries. Most of the countries on the list are not tourist-oriented to begin with. The 22 countries are Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Colombia, Congo (Brazzaville), Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire), Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Montserrat, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Sudan.
There’s no set protocol on how travel warnings are initiated, said a State Department spokeswoman. “We get information from the embassy, the ambassador, consular officers, the defense attache, whoever it might be. It could be the result of a phone call, e-mail, fax–communications that we have with our embassies and consulates worldwide.”
The time required to issue a warning could be as short as a few hours, or it could be several days, depending upon how quickly the situation unfolds or how urgent the need is, the spokeswoman said.
In the case of the eastern Caribbean island of Montserrat, where the Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted several times since late June, the warning issued Aug. 27 was in the works for several weeks, the spokeswoman explained. “The situation was escalating in severity, and at a certain point we had information that indicated it was not safe for any American to be on that island, so we issued a warning.”
Besides the warnings, described as the highest decibel notice to U.S. citizens, the State Department also publishes public announcements to “disseminate information about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term and/or transnational conditions posing significant risks to the security of American travelers.” The State Department also has regularly updated consular information sheets that provide currency and entry regulations, crime and security information and health conditions for every country in the world.
The same process used to issue travel warnings applies to the public announcements, the spokeswoman said. Public announcements at this writing apply to Chile, India, Israel, Kenya, Kuwait, Nepal, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia and Tanzania.
For instance, a public announcement was issued Sept. 5 regarding Israel, Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank. “Taking note of the recent bombings in central Jerusalem, (the American Embassy and the consulate general in Jerusalem) remind all U.S. citizens that the potential for violence remains high. . . .U.S. citizens are advised to avoid crowded pedestrian and shopping areas, especially in Jerusalem, and avoid public buses and bus stops, which were targets in the past.”
At times it seems both the warnings and announcements seem overly sweeping. Travelers to Israel, for example, would be reluctant to avoid the pedestrian streets such as Dizengoff in Tel Aviv or Ben Yehuda in Jerusalem. But the fact that both streets attract throngs makes them an appealing target to terrorists.
A warning on Colombia dated Feb. 11 cautions that “violence continues to affect all parts of the country. U.S. citizens have been the victims of recent kidnappings, threats and murders.” The consular information sheet, dated Feb. 14, elaborates on crime in Colombia, describing it as “one of the most dangerous countries in the world.” It noted that while narcotics- and guerilla-related violence accounted for part of this reputation, common criminals account for 75 percent of the reported murders.
During a January visit to Cartagena, a charming and thriving port on the Caribbean that welcomes cruise ships carrying mainly Americans, I found a colorful and seemingly peaceful city. Cartagena’s shops, cafes and beaches bustled by day; restaurants hummed at night. Hotels, however, had armed guards, and at night, police with dogs patrolled some shadowy streets.
No matter where you plan to travel abroad, it’s a splendid idea to seek out the State Department information. Forewarned is forearmed.
State Department travel warnings, public announcements and consular information sheets are available via automated telefax, 202-647-3000; phone-recorded messages, 202-647-5225; or on the Internet, http://travel.state.gov
