The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has come under fire after more than 35 MPs and travel organizers signed a petition stating that the travel advice is “outdated” and “overly harsh”.
The open letter, coordinated by the Experience Travel Group, says the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advice for Sri Lanka is “synthetic” and condemns the government for “systematically undermining the travel industry” by retaining warnings that “the British needlessly deter citizens from visiting”.
The FCDO’s Sri Lanka page warns that terrorists are “likely” to carry out attacks and warns, among other things, of political and economic unrest in the country. The last terror attack in Sri Lanka was almost five years ago, in April 2019, when more than 250 people, including eight British citizens, were killed.
The FCDO advice is designed to protect and assist British citizens traveling abroad, with information on safety and security, immunization and visa requirements, plus embassy contact details. It is the UK’s authority on safety abroad, and the Telegraph Travel Desk only recommends travel to destinations deemed safe by the FCDO.
However, the FCDO advice came to attention during the pandemic. Its pages contained detailed travel advice on Covid, such as the controversial “traffic light” system, and more than ever these politely informative corners of the internet were the source of breaking news and inevitably their words of wisdom came under scrutiny.
That seems to have trickled down into the post-Covid era. The latest campaign calls not just for an update of the Sri Lanka page, but for “ministers to reform the FCDO’s bottom-up approach [to ensure] there is consistency so that both tourism industries and travelers can once again place their trust in the advice.”
How did we get here and do the FCDO advice pages really need a fresh look?
The evolution of the advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Jonny Bealby has traveled extensively and runs adventure tour operator Wild Frontiers. He remembers the early days of the FCDO advice. “The only memory I have of pre-internet warnings from the State Department was when I was traveling across the Mediterranean from Marseilles to Tunis on a motorcycle trip through Africa,” he says.
“I turned on my shortwave radio and heard an announcement on the BBC World Service – I assume from the Foreign Office – telling people, ‘Leave Zaire immediately.’ Bring one bag each and no pets.’ The year was 1991. It was October and President Mobutu was losing his grip on power. That’s how they told people at the time, on the radio and the BBC World Service.”
In the pre-internet era, State Department advice was less common than in today’s era of independent travel. The vast majority of people booked their trips abroad with a travel agent on the high street, so if there were any concerns they would be raised at this point, or – for those few people traveling independently – it would be a phone call to the ministry from the Foreign Office. , leave the radio on and read the newspaper regularly for updates.
Today, the FCDO has an online travel advice page for every country in the world. And its words offer more than mere guidance. Most insurance companies say their cover will not be valid if a destination has an FCDO advisory against traveling before the customer departs, and most Atol-protected tour operators will cancel holidays in this scenario and offer a full refund or rebooking option. As of last month, 66 countries have been completely or partially blacklisted by the State Department – representing about a fifth of the Earth’s land area.
Are FCDO warnings getting stricter?
Sri Lanka’s petitioners focus on the wording on the Safety and Security page. It reads: “Terrorists are likely to attempt to carry out attacks in Sri Lanka. Attacks can occur randomly, including in places frequented by foreigners, such as hotels, tourist sites and places of worship. Avoid crowded public places, large gatherings and demonstrations, and follow the advice of local authorities.” It comes after the Easter Sunday attacks in 2019, when more than 250 people were killed in attacks on three churches and three hotels in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa.
The FCDO’s language regarding terrorism is similar across all pages. The French page warns that a terrorist attack is “very” likely and lists places where it could occur (such as shopping centers and cultural events). It adds that tourists should be “vigilant” in public places. Germany, Sweden and Belgium also have a “highly probable” terrorist alert. In Spain, Greece and the Netherlands an attack is “probable”, while in Italy, Portugal and Croatia it “cannot be ruled out”.
An FCDO spokesperson said: “The safety of Britons is the most important factor in determining our travel advice. Our advice is designed to help Brits make informed decisions about travel abroad and is continually reviewed to ensure it reflects our latest assessment of the risks of traveling abroad.”
If you look through the fine print of FCDO pages, there are instances where the guidance wavers in hand-holding. Spain for example: “Be careful when swimming in the sea”; Turkey: “Accepting lifts from strangers can be dangerous”; US: “Check the weather conditions before a long drive”; Croatia: “Do not leave valuables unattended”. It could all fall under the purview of universal common sense.
The FCDO advice is intended to be updated regularly; However, some pages are significantly outdated. The Greek page reads: “Athens will host the UEFA Europa League between AEK and Brighton on Thursday, November 30.” That match was almost three months ago.
And some statements are somewhat drastic. The Cyprus page states: “Driving standards are poor and there is an increased risk of road fatalities compared to Britain.” There were 34 road deaths in Cyprus in 2023 (one in 36,500 residents), while in Britain there were 1,633 road deaths (one in 41,200 residents) – a margin that some say does not indicate dramatically worse standards.
The rebellious travel organizations
While the majority of tour operators – such as Tui, Jet2Holidays or easyJet Holidays – would cancel an itinerary if there is an orange FCDO advice against “all non-essential travel”, or a red warning against “all travel” to a destination, others have a more nuanced view.
Andrea Godfrey, head of Regent Holidays, explains The Telegraph: “The safety of our customers is always and without a doubt the most important consideration. An orange FCDO advisory does not automatically mean that a destination will be withdrawn from sale, but we base our guidance on thorough research with our trusted local partners, who are usually best placed to advise on the situation on the ground and for it to ensure that travel insurance has been taken out. policies on the market that provide sufficient coverage.
“Our experience selling destinations such as Albania and North Korea is that the advice can be slow, outdated or – sometimes – politically motivated, and does not always accurately reflect the level of risk at the destination. Ultimately, our customers will make the decision, based on the most informed and up-to-date advice we can provide, and backed by valid travel insurance.”
Jonny Bealby of Wild Frontiers says: “I fully understand the impossible task they have set themselves and I think – above all – there is a genuine desire to give travelers good advice. That doesn’t mean I always agree, or even understand it: how can Srinagar be considered too dangerous for the British, but fine for hundreds of thousands of Indian tourists? – but I do think they are trying to get it right.
“Some of our customers will take the FCDO advice very literally and will not travel if travel advice applies. Others are more optimistic today and will travel as long as we can provide them with adequate insurance. We have a number of trips that are against FCDO advice and are selling well, including Kashmir, Laos and Pakistan.
“Do I worry about it? No. I usually get my advice from elsewhere.”