The US has updated its travel advice for a major country that has seen recent tourism boom.
The US State Department has been issuing a few advisories to US citizens looking for a destination to jet off to.
In May, the state department issued a 'do not travel' warning for anyone wishing to visit Venezuela - asking people to avoid travelling there 'for any reason'.
A few more countries have also fell foul of the department's 'do not travel' list for numerous reasons, including armed conflict, terrorism or likelihood of a natural disaster, to name a few.
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As for how this is determined, there is a system ranging from level 1 to 4, with the first being to 'exercise normal precautions', while the final one is 'do not travel'.
As per the latest travel advisory published on July 16, the US has reissued its advice surrounding a country in South Asia after ‘periodic review’.
It further states that all who wish to travel to India should ‘exercise increased caution due to crime and terrorism’, with some areas have an ‘increased risk’.
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The department also alleged that 'rape is one of the fastest growing crimes in India', further claiming that 'violent crimes', including sexual assault, 'happen at tourist sites and other locations'.
It explained that the U.S. government has ‘limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in rural areas’ such as the areas from eastern Maharashtra and northern Telangana through to western West Bengal.
For those who even want to work there via the U.S. government, they'll need to obtain special authorization to travel through those locations, and some travel is even banned.
According to the travel advisory, all U.S. government employees working in India are now required to obtain permission prior to traveling to most areas in the states of:
- Bihar
- Jharkhand
- Chhattisgarh
- West Bengal
- Meghalaya
- Odisha
However, if you’re just traveling to the capitol of the states, then you won’t need permission.
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The US State Department has also given strict rules for all to follow amid alleged rises in crime against women and terrorism threats.
For women, the department advises to not travel alone to any locations, and to use the help of a guide if possible.
With a population of over 1.4 billion, India has seen increased tourism since 2023. According to The Mirror US, it also saw 9.24 million foreign tourists, a 43.5 per cent increase from the year before.
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In response, Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, called the new travel warning ‘unfortunate’, as per MSN.
He went on to add that the warnings do not accurately show the current situation in India, and that the country has been on the same level of warning with the US for 'several years'.
However, opposition party leader, Supriya Shrinate from Congress, said that the ‘silence’ delivered by the Indian government in light of the US’s warnings 'will not only harm India's image but also impact everybody’s life in the country'.
Britt Jones