Key Takeaway
The United States Department of State recently issued a Level 1 Travel Advisory for Switzerland. Travelers are advised to exercise normal precautions when traveling in the country.
A major European country has a new travel alert.
The United States Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs has issued a Level 1 Travel Advisory for the country of Switzerland. The agency did not provide any immediate cause on why the travel advisory was published on May 20, but it says to “exercise normal precautions in Switzerland.”
There have been recent protests and demonstrations during the recent Eurovision Song Contest, according to a report from French news outlet France 24. However, it is not confirmed that these protests prompted the United States to publish the travel advisory.
The agency does; however, link to a detailed security report, which spotlights recent protests and a medium crime threat in the city of Geneva.
For reference, the Level 1 advisory, “exercise normal precautions” simply encourages visitors to be vigilant, but doesn’t necessarily mean that a traveler should alter their plans. The advisory is the lowest on a tier of four. Level 2 is ‘exercise increased caution’, Level 3 is ‘reconsider travel’, and Level 4 is ‘do not travel’.
Switzerland was recently ranked as the fifth safest country in the world, and even ranked higher than Japan and Denmark, in a study published by Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection.
The U.S. agency also provides several helpful tips for travelers visiting Switzerland, including signing up for the free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) which can provide up-to-date and critical information for visitors in a foreign country. The agency also encourages travelers to purchase travel insurance before overseas trips.
“Use your best judgement to avoid unsafe situations,” the State Department shares in its best practices for traveler safety. “Think ahead and come up with a safety plan to deal with unsafe situations, in the event you end up in one. Consider bringing personal safety whistles/alarms and taking self-defense courses before you travel.”
The travel advisory comes as the other government agencies have also issued alerts for travelers ahead of the summer travel season. For example, the Center for Disease Control issued an alert for an outbreak of dengue fever in Brazil, Fiji, Mexico, and other countries.
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