Hope you’re not planning a trip to see the pyramids or Beirut anytime soon. Egypt and Lebanon are two of 22 countries on the government’s list to avoid, due to the threat of terrorist attacks
Canadians are urged to “exercise a high degree of caution” at 97 other places. Among them are popular tropical hot spots such as Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Bahamas and Belize.
Brazil — home of the 2016 summer Olympics — is on the list due to the Zika virus as well as “high crime rates and regular incidents of gang-related and other violence in urban areas.” Two other South American travel staples on there are Peru and Bolivia.
Backpacker favourites like Thailand, China and Vietnam are part of the group too. So are France and Belgium in Europe.
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Global Affairs spokesperson Jessica Seguin explains a team “closely monitors safety and security conditions in foreign countries — 24 hours a day, seven days a week — using a wide array of information sources.”
She says there’s “no strict formula” to determine the threat level of a country, which is why the U.K., for example will rate certain countries (like France) differently.
You can see the full list on this interactive map, created by Global News web developer Max Hartshorn.
Most dangerous countries for Canadian travelers
This is what the travel advisories mean:
Avoid all travel (high risk)
There is an extreme risk to personal safety; Canadians should not travel at this time.
Avoid non-essential travel (high risk)
There are specific security concerns; travellers should reconsider their need to travel at this time.
Exercise a high degree of caution (medium risk)
There are identifiable security concerns; travellers should be alert and vigilant to their surroundings.
Exercise normal security precautions (low risk)
There are no significant security concerns.
Travellers are always encouraged to check out where the closest Canadian embassy or consulate is in the region they’ll be visiting.
“Always keep this information close at hand while travelling,” the goverment’s site recommends.
This is what the Canadian officials abroad can do for you:
Help in a medical emergency by providing a list of local doctors and hospitals.
Provide advice and contact information for local police and medical services to victims of robbery, sexual assault or other violence.
Provide assistance in cases of missing persons or the abduction of a child to another country.
Replace a lost, stolen, damaged or expired passport.
Contact relatives or friends to request assistance in sending you money or airline tickets.
Transfer funds if urgent financial assistance is required and all other options have been exhausted.
Contact next of kin, with your authorization, if you have had an accident or are detained by police.
Advise local police in Canada to contact next of kin in case of death.
Provide assistance to repatriate the remains of your loved one back to Canada.
Help you, in case of a death abroad, to identify a funeral home experienced in international funeral arrangements in the region where the death took place as well as a funeral home in Canada.
Request timely and transparent investigations into suspicious circumstances in the event of an alleged or apparent crime or death (although consular officials cannot interfere in an investigation or legal matter).
Contact friends or family on your behalf, with your authorization.
Provide you with a list of local lawyers.
Provide you with sources of information about local laws and regulations.
