Over the summer, we posted the travel warnings foreign countries had recently issued, so their residents would know about the current safety issues when traveling to the United States. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that many more countries have since issued warnings about traveling to the United States of America.
The most common reasons for the warnings include:
- Gun-related violence and mass shootings
- Political unrest and public protest
- Police brutality or discrimination concerns
- Hate crimes or bias incidents toward minorities and LGBTQIA+ travelers
Which countries?
There are now nearly 40 countries with such warnings:
- Australia: cites gun violence, mass shootings, police encounters
- Austria: firearm accessibility, racial discrimination
- Bahamas: police profiling, violence in U.S. cities
- Belgium: public shootings, violent crime
- Brazil: gun violence, civil unrest
- Canada: active-shooter incidents, terrorism
- Chile: armed violence, political protests
- China: racial discrimination, gun crime
- Cuba: racial tensions, civil unrest
- Denmark: gun prevalence, protests
- Finland: mass shootings, police encounters
- France: terrorism, gun violence, protests
- Germany: armed attacks, racial violence
- India: hate crimes, racial incidents
- Ireland: mass shootings, violent crimes
- Israel: anti-Semitic attacks
- Italy: gun crimes, crime hotspots
- Japan: gun incidents, safety alerts
- Mexico: gun violence, racial profiling
- Netherlands: random shootings, unrest
- New Zealand: gun incidents, crime
- Nigeria: hate crimes, racial violence
- Norway: urban crime, gun violence
- Philippines: gun crime, political protests
- Qatar: random violence, unrest
- Russia: violent crime, unpredictable law enforcement actions toward foreign citizens, potential for arbitrary detentions
- Singapore: gun violence, racial tensions
- South Africa: racism, gun crime
- South Korea: mass shootings
- Spain: gun violence, protests
- Sweden: hate crimes, crime
- Switzerland: mass shootings
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turkey: terrorism, shootings
- United Arab Emirates: civil disturbances, gun crime
- United Kingdom: gun violence, terrorism
- Uruguay: armed violence in U.S. cities
- Venezuela: “high levels of violence,” gun crime
Why this matters
So there you go. Regardless of what we think of the United States (and I suspect many of my fellow Americans agree we’re a hot mess right now), other countries are well aware of the very real problems we have with domestic terrorism, racism, gun safety, violent crimes, theft, global warming, medical costs, Black and Brown peoples’ interactions with the police and ICE, how we treat people seeking asylum, and even our (*cough*) puritanical opinions about some modern topics.
What you or I think about these things doesn’t matter. It’s a shame we’re so far gone that so many more countries are warning their citizens about us. I think this is a very poor reflection on our so-called past title of “best country in the world.”
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22 comments
While some of these are patently ridiculous like Brazil and Venezuela berating the USA about crime and those freedom loving Russians worrying about arbitrary detention here more than back home, the fact is that for the majority of the list there’s a certain amount of truth in the accusations. That doesn’t mean the accusations are either complete or realistic for the average tourist but we have a government that we elected that’s generating this pushback that has put our country under the microscope. Unfortunately, what that shows isn’t all that pretty.
You left out Latin America. Many people are concerned about being hassled and arrested for their Latino appearance.
“Latino appearance” = “Brown people.”
No big deal. I’m currently in the UK and traveling to France next week. First of all no pushback at all against Americans. Secondly I get State Department STEP notices and both UK and France are level 2 (enchanted security) due to potential terrorist actions, protests and, in the case of France, rampant phone theft and pickpockets. That being said I have no problem traveling to either country. Our warning is pretty much comparable to theirs about the US. Bottom line is every country finds risk areas but most is overblown
The point of the piece had nothing to do with how American tourists are perceived – I think most citizens of other countries are well aware that the problem isn’t “us” but our current leaders. And yes, of course other places have always had problems…as have we. We’ve written about both in the past. The piece was mainly about the vast increase in warnings about the U.S. in recent months, and how many of the new warnings are due to either our leaders, or, since protesting is legal in the U.S., our citizens’ response to them.
So true….putting aside the leaders in CA, Il, and MN to name a few, you can now add NYC
The stabbing of 11 people in UK was very disturbing. No guns but they still manage to harm people.
The stabbing of 11 people in the UK is tragic. But I’m not sure what that has to do with the topic, which is how other countries are perceiving us. Beyond that, compared to (taking a breath) domestic terrorism, racism, gun safety, violent crimes, theft, medical costs, Black and Brown peoples’ interactions with the police and ICE, how we treat people seeking asylum, et al, “11 people being stabbed,” although horrific, is a spit in the ocean. The United States of America is a dumpster fire right now.
You of course are certainly entitled to your opinion, but that’s all it is. Our great country is experiencing the same violence that has been with us for the last thirty years. Just looking at the current stats, we are the same violent country we have been for decades with the exception of the last ten years or so. In that period of time, we have seen a significant surge in violent crime. It is more than obvious that you are not happy with the current administration, and again, that is your undeniable right. But I object to your using this blog to demonstrate a political view. As a frequent international traveler, I have personally seen the changes in crime within many countries I visit regularly, especially in Western Europe. And I don’t agree with your view that this is off topic with this article. You have to be aware that violent crime is up universally. One can simply go to the U.S. State Department web site and review their updates and warnings for other countries. Keeping your blog in line with that which is true and keeping political opinions out will serve to keep your readers informed without political bias.
Thank-you for your well thought-out comment. It was nice to not have to edit it because not following our rules of commenting.
Every one of these ***** are *****. ***** and anyone who ***** is either ***** and/or *****.
I know someone is gonna respond with something nonsensical which will only reinforce my stance on the *****.
I’d still rather be in the US than any other country in the World.
Comment redacted by YMMV to remove portions that were against YMMV’s requirements for approval.
In this case, practically all of it. Womp womp. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Think this is ludicrous for the racial and hate crimes comments. Having been to France, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary several times over the last few years, the overt racism shown to tourists from China, Korea, anywhere in the Middle East particularly Iran and some other places is very open, shocking and obvious. Maybe they should be looking at themselves.
Giving warnings about traveling is not a tit for tat or a “Yeah, but what about….?”
Bottom line is that we, the United States of America, are currently perceived to be a dumpster fire. We’ve got (taking a deep breath) domestic terrorism, racism, gun safety, violent crimes, theft, medical costs, Black and Brown peoples’ interactions with the police and ICE, how we treat people seeking asylum, and the list goes on and on. with all that happening, regardless of what’s happening in the countries that say that, what they say is 100% correct – we are indeed a dumpster fire.
A true mirror reflection of your society.
Indeed. We suck right now.
We really won’t miss you. Millions of people are trying to crash our borders to get in. Is that true of your country?
Fortunately, not all of you ***** are “***** *****”. You just need to check on Instagram the “*****” reels to see *** “****” ** *** *** ********** ** *** **** ** *** *****.
Comment redacted by YMMV to remove portions that were against YMMV’s requirements for approval.
In this case, most of it. Womp woomp. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
{{{REDACTED PORTION}}} Travel warnings from other countries are merely a “heads-up” to foreign nationals so they keep their head on a swivel and aren’t blindsided by any preconceived notions of life in the USA.
Comment redacted by YMMV to remove portions that were against YMMV’s requirements for approval.
In this case, most of it. Womp womp. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
It’s rather interesting that a factual post like the one I made has been redacted (except for the last sentence). Obviously, you are censoring speech b/c it doesn’t align with your viewpoint as the editor or moderator of this website. Your editorial commentary within the article — as well as responses to both my own and other reader comments speaks volumes!!
So much for unbiased “journalism” and content moderation.
Mark, we have rules for making comments about our posts; we give the link to same at the bottom of every single post that gets published. If you chose not to read the rules and then wrote things which were against our rules (which you did), that’s 100% on you. And if you did read the rules, decided they weren’t for you, and still wrote things that were against our rules (which, to reiterate, you did), that’s FAFO and STILL 100% on you.
If you look at Carlen Kirby’s comment to this post, you’ll see that we have no qualms about posting opinions from the other side of the political fence. It’s only when our readers use terms like “radical morons,” like you did, that we start redacting and only leaving he portion(s) that (here’s that term again) follow our rules.
Also, regarding the “unbiased ‘journalism'” you mentioned: we are not a newspaper, magazine or anything where we swear any sort of oath for “no opinions, news only.” We’re a personally run travel blog and our opinions (about hotels, airlines, credit cards, others’ decisions that affect travel, etc.) have always been an integral part of that.
I hear what you’re saying, and we all know the source of the identified issues. With that said, it seems strange that so many people want to come here, literally swarming our borders and risking their lives to get in. Something odd about the facts.
I suspect for a good many immigrants, particularly the ones who come here as undocumented immigrants, it’s a matter of “almost certainly die if I stay in my home country” (because of starvation, gangs, cartels, etc.) vs. I might be able to eke out a living if I work hard and keep my head low. I suspect “the American dream” is still a thing.