Canadian Travellers Advised to Be Cautious When Heading to These 9 Popular Holiday Locations

The Government of Canada has updated its travel advisories to some popular holiday destinations, including France, the U.K., and Hong Kong.

When travelling anywhere outside of Canada, it’s best to be aware of the situation on the ground in your country of destination and remain vigilant of any changes while you’re there.

France raised its security threat level to the peak of “attack emergency” on March 24, following a terrorist attack in Moscow.

The country will host the Olympic Games from July 26 to Aug. 11 and the Paralympic Games from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8, the advisory noted. Public events are expected to begin on May 8 until the Games’ opening ceremonies, which means Canadians in the area should expect to see an increased presence of security forces, disruption in traffic, and large crowds.

Canadians are reminded that terrorist attacks can occur anywhere, but are most likely to happen in cultural places, like museums, galleries, concert halls, tourist attractions, and hotels and transportation spots, including airports.

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The threat of a terrorist attack in the U.K. means that Canadians are asked to be cautious if travelling to the country.

The government notes that previous terrorist attacks in the U.K. have led to deaths and “have included random violent incidents in public areas, such as knife and vehicle attacks as well as explosions.”

While most have happened in London, other parts of the country have been attacked, Ottawa said, adding another terrorist attack is “likely.”

In the U.K., the government’s terrorist level is three, which means there is a “substantial” potential for an attack, while in Ireland, the level is four, which is “severe.”

The threat level has been raised in the country over an increase in incidents of public desecration of the Qur’an. In August 2023, the Swedish Security Service increased the threat level to four, which is high.

The government says there is a high risk of foreigners being targeted by terrorists in the area.

“You may also face increased threats of violence or kidnapping if you travel to Indonesian Papua,” the advisory said.

It also noted terrorism activity in the country was elevated.

“While effective counterterrorism measures by Indonesian authorities are in place, terrorist cells are active and have the capacity to carry out attacks throughout the country.”

Those looking to travel to the UAE should “exercise a high degree of caution” due to the threat of terrorism, the advisory says.

The ongoing threat is a result of terrorists saying they are targeting the UAE, the government said, adding places that are at high risk of being attacked include tourist attractions, shopping centres, markets, hotels, and other sites where foreigners may be. Airports and places of worship also pose a risk.

Canadians may also face some risky weather in the country, the government says.

On April 16, heavy rains and strong winds caused severe flooding in the UAE and left buildings and infrastructure damaged.

As a result, services such as transportation, power, water and food supplies, telecommunication, and medical care may be disrupted.

Canadians are advised to “exercise a high degree of caution” and outright avoid some areas, such as Northeastern India and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

There is also a risk to Canadians specifically, as political developments between the two countries have created an anti-Canadian sentiment.

In September 2023, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there was intelligence linking India to the shooting death of Canadian Sikh activist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C.

The warning comes after the city passed new national security laws, which Ottawa says could hinder human rights.

“Canada is concerned that the new national security law adopted by Hong Kong could deviate further from internationally accepted standards of proportionality, transparency and accountability,” a March 20 statement from Global Affairs Canada said.

“Canada recognizes Hong Kong’s right to enact legislation to address legitimate national security considerations,” the statement said. “This new legislation, however, fails to safeguard the human rights and freedoms enshrined in the Basic Law and in international instruments to which Hong Kong is a party.”

Ottawa’s advisory notes that under the new laws, some activities that are not considered illegal in Canada could be against the law in Hong Kong, including social media posts.

Crime rates in the country are said to be highest in urban areas, including Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Brasilia, Recife, and Salvador.

“Foreign tourists are most commonly affected by theft but incidents of violent crime have also occurred, due to the high prevalence of guns coupled with the willingness of criminals and police to resort to violence,” the advisory says.

Jordan also shares borders with other countries that pose a serious security risk, the government said, such as Syria and Iraq.

Unrest in the country stems from protests over the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The advisory says demonstrations have been taking place regularly in Jordan since Oct. 13, 2023, after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel.

“Most protests have been peaceful and contained by security forces, but isolated incidents of minor clashes with security forces have been reported,” Canada’s government said.