Travel risk: Which countries does Canada recommend avoiding?

A passenger checks departure times at Trudeau International Airport Friday, July 19, 2024 in Montreal. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz)

Canadians planning to travel abroad over the holidays should take precautionary steps to ensure they’re not unintentionally putting themselves in harm’s way.

As of Dec. 16, the federal government says travellers heading to popular destinations for Canadians may need to exercise additional caution.

Sections of the United States bordering Mexico, including parts of California, Texas, Arizona and New Mexico, continue to experience crime connected to the drug trade, according to the Government of Canada.

There are currently 14 Mexican states where the government advises all non-essential travel should be avoided due to high levels of violence and organized crime.

In Cuba, the government warns that visitors may encounter shortages of basic necessities including food, fuel and medicine.

Canadians should also take note that the United Kingdom and Italy, meanwhile, are both experiencing increased threats of terrorism. Canadians travelling to Rome during The Jubilee, Dec. 24 through Jan. 6, 2025, should expect to encounter larger crowds during this holy time and petty crime, including crimes of opportunity, will likely spike.

The above countries are among dozens the government lists where Canadians are encouraged to exercise a “high degree of caution,” based on several factors ranging from natural disaster fallout and politic unrest to increases in petty crime and arbitrary enforcement of local laws.

The Canadian government has also placed 21 countries on its ‘Avoid all travel’ list and is recommending against all non-essential travel to an additional 11 nations. The vast majority of these countries are currently involved in armed conflict (internal or with other nations) or prone to terrorist attacks.

The ‘Avoid all travel’ list, as of Dec. 16, includes:

The federal government had encouraged all Canadians to avoid all travel to Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as of the week of Dec. 9, but the designation has since been upgraded to 'avoid all non-essential travel.'

Canadians planning to travel internationally are encouraged to review the government’s Travel Advice and Advisories for the latest information on their destination.