The foreign and commonwealth office draws up an in depth list of nations that ought to not be travelled to quite regularly, and is from that, that our, and other global travel insurance providers’, underwriters decide which countries travel insurance should be provided for. we glance at the govt travel advice and choose from that whether or not we will provide insurance to travelers.
Although global travel insurance does, by its nature, cover the bulk of the planet , the present climate ensures that there are some places where the likelihood of incident means UK travel insurance providers are unable to supply protection. Thankfully, the list is obvious of the bulk of popular holiday destinations, and you’re unlikely to possess your big holiday plans affected. the foremost likely group to possess their travel plans altered by the foreign office’s travel advice are business travelers.
The foreign office’s travel advice isn’t to visit the subsequent countries, albeit it means losing business – the danger from the warzones listed below is simply too great to form the reward well worth the danger:
Here’s our top 10 countries to avoid traveling to, and therefore the reasons for the high risk factor! the danger is way from conclusive (the foreign office’s travel advice lists more countries), but to me, these are those that each one travelers should avoid just like the plague:
10) Liberia
Economic hardship in Liberia is currently making outbreaks of violence common, and foreigners (especially westerners) are in danger targets thanks to their affluence. This extra likelihood of incident ensures that no UK travel insurance provider would risk offering you cover if you select to go to Liberia
9) Nepal
Occasional acts of terrorism and political violence in urban areas make Nepal off-limits for those that want to urge travel insurance. In September this year, three nearly simultaneous bombs went off within the capital of Kathmandu, killing 3 and injuring many innocent bystanders.
8) Haiti
Haiti is taken into account off limits to several travelers on account of the high risk of kidnappings and civil unrest that’s prominent. At the time of writing, there are 12 kidnappings of yank travelers in 2007 – mostly criminal in nature. within the past, these kidnappings have led to physical and sexual assaults and shootings. The potential for spontaneous protests and demonstrations has also been known to end in unexpected violence, day or night. It’s no surprise that the government’s travel advice isn’t to travel here!
7) Yemen
Due to the high levels of terrorist activity in Yemen, westerners are advised to steer beyond Yemen. If this is often impossible , then all travelers are encouraged to remain vigilant and to stay a coffee profile to avoid attacks or kidnapping. things is so grave that the US Embassy often restricts americans from certain hotels, restaurants and shopping areas.
6) Israel
The Gaza Strip and West Bank has seen immense violence in recent months between Israeli and Palestinian factions, and shootings, kidnappings and violence demonstrations have occurred in each. The region’s continued instability makes visit Israel widely recommended against – the danger of abduction or worse makes travel insurance impossible to get .
5) Democratic Republic of Congo
The democratic republic of Congo remains one among the foremost dangerous places to travel in Africa, where violence, neglect and corruption has left the country distinctly damaged. Fighting erupted within the streets of Kinshasa in March this year, and therefore the situation remains volatile despite the immediate threat of violence calming down. Travel outside of Kinshasa is difficult and dangerous with security, especially within the north and straightforward , being unstable. Any traveler brave enough to visit the Congo should be extremely cautious, avoid the North Kivu district which is that the backdrop to armed conflict between government troops and military rebels, avoid crowds and keep an in depth eye on local media.
4) Burma (Myanmar)
While the human rights situation makes Myanmar an ethically uneasy place to go to , currently there’s tons of private risk involved also . Throughout September, the anti-government protests sparked a violent crackdown from the authorities and made international headlines. Although the dusk-til-dawn curfew imposed in a number of the towns has been lifted, it still remains an uncertain time to go to the country and you’re unlikely to seek out any global travel insurance firm who will insure you.
3) Colombia
Colombia remains one among the foremost dangerous places to travel within the world because of the crime the country suffers from. The illicit drug trade urban areas like Cali and Buenaventura means there’s often a high risk of violence, while the more rural areas expose visitors to the country in danger from narcoterrorist groups who will often kidnap civilians to use for ransom or to realize media attention. Naturally UK travel insurance companies are loathe to insure travelers who prefer to ignore these warning and visit Colombia anyway.
2) Afghanistan
With the war on terror in Afghanistan still fresh within the mind, it’s no surprise that the country remains an enormous area . Western tourists are obvious kidnap and assassination targets, as many of the disbanded Taliban and Al-Qa’ida forces remain at large and hostile to the new regieme. Additionally, the country remains unsafe thanks to tribal groups, explosive devices, landmines, military operations and acts of terrorism. Unsurprisingly, the government’s travel advice is to avoid travelling here in the least costs!
1) Iraq
Given the status nature of western kidnappings by various insurgent groups, and therefore the regular acts of terrorism and hostility to Western troops, it’s no surprise that no travel insurance companies will insure travelers to the troubled country. The instability is caused by various groups – Ba’ath regime remnants, transnational terrorists and criminal elements are known to attack convoys en-route to venues, hotels, restaurants, checkpoints and police stations.
While holidaymakers are unlikely to be suffering from these less touristy locations, their riskiness means business travellers will need to forgo their travel insurance if they’re unable to cancel their trips.