The US State Department is giving its travel advisory system a much needed overhaul.
It will change the way it issues travel advisories for American travelers with a new four-tier advisory system based on risk.
Expected to take effect in January, a level one advisory asked travelers to ‘exercise normal precautions,’ level two means ‘exercise increased caution,’ level three requests to ‘reconsider travel’ and level four is ‘do not travel.’
Assistant secretary of state Carl Risch said a level four is a serious warning against travel but is not an outright travel ban.
Risch said some counties would likely have several different advisories based on the different regional situations.
The tourism industry has long complained of US State Department travel advisories which do not take into consideration the different levels of risk within a country or region.
"It’s driven by our commitment to making sure that Americans who are traveling overseas are informed travelers and have access to up-to-date information," Risch said.
The US also issued a wide-ranging worldwide travel warning after the president recognized the city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, sparking condemnation around the world.
It said US government facilities around the globe ‘remain in a heightened state of alert.’
