NEWS RELEASES

July 20, 2005 (11:00 a.m. EDT)
No. 128

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Foreign Affairs Canada announces that it has changed the terminology it uses to communicate official travel warnings to Canadians. The department encourages Canadians to visit the Consular Affairs Web site (http://www.voyage.gc.ca) as early as possible when making plans for travel abroad.

“The safety and security of Canadians living and travelling abroad is of paramount importance to the Government of Canada. Travel warnings constitute the government’s front-line advice to Canadians about what may be happening in a country that they are planning to visit or live in,” said Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew. “I strongly encourage Canadians planning to travel abroad to visit the Consular Affairs Web site. There, they will learn about their travel destination, the domestic conditions that apply, the challenges associated with travelling as a dual citizen, as well as many other vital travel-related issues.”

“Travel warnings and the new terminology are part of the increasingly preventative approach we are taking in our Travel Information Program,” said Dan McTeague, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who is also responsible for Canadians abroad. “Our goal is to educate Canadian travellers and to provide them with the advice they need to make responsible decisions—before they leave Canada—and to minimize risk while abroad. Thus, if the level of threat to a person’s safety is high, Foreign Affairs Canada will now advise Canadians to avoid ‘all travel’ to that destination. If the threat in a destination is not as great, the department will advise Canadians to avoid ‘non-essential travel.’”

For example, in a country engaged in a war, travel warnings will state that “Foreign Affairs Canada advises against all travel to this country.” For a nation recovering from civil unrest, travel warnings will read: “Foreign Affairs Canada advises against non-essential travel to this country.” Situations and events that can trigger a travel warning include civil unrest, war, rebellion, natural disasters and health emergencies.

Foreign Affairs Canada has introduced the distinction between “all travel” and “non-essential travel” in order to increase the awareness of Canadian travellers, as well as the travel industry, of safety and security issues abroad. This change now aligns the terminology used in Canada’s travel warnings with that used by other government departments and countries. It also responds to a formal request from the World Tourism Organization to governments worldwide to standardize the terms used in travel warnings.

Despite the new terminology, the basic meaning of travel warnings has not changed.

Foreign Affairs Canada’s Travel Information Program offers indispensable advice on more than 200 destinations worldwide. To find out more, visit http://www.voyage.gc.ca.

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For further information, media representatives may contact:

Sébastien Théberge
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851

Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs Canada
(613) 995-1874
http://www.international.gc.ca

Backgrounder

TRAVEL WARNINGS

On July 18, 2005, Foreign Affairs Canada changed the terminology of its travel warnings, which can be viewed at http://www.voyage.gc.ca/dest/sos/warnings-en.asp. Previously, the terminology used in travel warnings referred to “Canadians” and “Canadian tourists.” New Foreign Affairs Canada terminology refers to “all travel” and “non-essential travel.”

The nature of travel warnings remains the same. The purpose of Foreign Affairs Canada travel warnings is to provide formal recommendations that Canadians avoid travel to a country, or specific region(s) of a country, when information from credible sources suggests that it is not safe to travel there. Refunds and insurance claims will still need to be settled by the traveller and the travel agency or travel insurance company.

There are nine different levels of travel warning. When the threat is high or imminent, the warning advises Canadians to avoid “all travel,” and in some cases, to depart the country or region concerned. When the threat is not as great, the warning advises Canadians to avoid “non-essential travel” to the country or region. Whether travel is essential or not is a matter of personal assessment, based on each individual’s family or business needs, concern for personal safety, knowledge of a country or region, and other issues. For a full list of the nine different levels of travel warning, visit http://www.voyage.gc.ca/dest/sos/warnings-en.asp.

Travel warnings constitute an integral part of the country travel reports in which they appear. Travel reports are available for more than 200 destinations worldwide at http://www.voyage.gc.ca/dest/ctry/reportpage-en.asp. They enable Canadians to make well-informed decisions regarding destinations and itineraries, in addition to planning and preparation for travel, to ensure a safe, secure, and positive experience abroad.

Travel warnings and travel reports are among the communication tools employed in the Travel Information Program (http://www.voyage.gc.ca/), which provides Canadians living and travelling abroad with official advice from the Government of Canada. For more information, see the Frequently Asked Questions page at http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/before/faq/tip-en.asp.