Major summer tourism destinations see Canadian travel warnings

The Canadian government is updating its travel advisories as summer vacations are in full swing.

Popular travel locations that have seen updated advisories this week include Colombia, Costa Rica, Belize, Morocco, and Peru.

Each region will require some additional planning for those looking to head out of the country, as Canada’s Travel Advice and Advisories — which posted these warnings — is designed to help travellers make informed decisions and travel safely abroad.

The federal government analyzes trends and incidents affecting international travellers, monitors global events and collects updated reports from various sources.

Here are five countries with updated travel advisories:

Colombia

Risks: Criminal activity

Reasons: The risk of kidnapping and violence posed by the presence of illegal armed groups and other criminal organizations has resulted in major travel advisories to the following regions.

These include Arauca, Caquetá, excluding the city of Florencia, Cauca, excluding the city of Popayan, Cesar, in the municipalities of González and Río de Oro, Chocó, excluding the towns of  Bahía Solano, Capurganá, and Nuquí.

The advisories have been posted as certain cities and border areas are subject to drug-related criminal activity by illegal armed groups and other criminal organizations

Costa Rica

Risks: Crime

Reasons: Crime is on the rise, according to the advisory, especially theft and violent occurrences.

Reports of pickpocketing and vehicle snatching have been occurring in tourist areas such as San José and popular resort towns along the Pacific and Caribbean coasts.

Reports of criminals using “key jammers” have surfaced — digital devices that block the connection between a key fob and its vehicle, disrupting commands to lock doors. Authorities have also stated that, beyond vehicles, passport theft is also extremely common and increases in frequency during the peak tourist season, specifically, from July to August.

Belize

Risks: Gang violence

Reasons: Authorities are posting significant concerns in Belize, especially in Southside Belize City, surrounding violent activity.

This violent activity is not only relegated to gang-on-gang violence in the capital, as the advisory also states that violent incidents against foreign nationals — including burglaries and physical assaults — have occurred in popular tourist areas such as Caulker, Hopkins, Placencia, San Pedro, San Ignacio, Corozal, and Seine Bight.

Law enforcement in the area is encouraging all visitors to be aware when travelling, to move in groups, and not to resist in the event of a robbery.

Morrocco

Risks: Military action

Reasons: An increased military presence has been noted throughout the region due to threats of terrorism.

All travel within 20 km of the border with Algeria has been prohibited due to the unstable security situation and the difficulty of finding the border’s exact location. Travel to additional areas near the Western Sahara border has also been advised against due to the threat of terrorism and unexploded landmines.

Peru

Risks: Crime and Kidnappings

Reasons: Authorities in the region are urging all travellers to avoid travelling to the Valley of the Apurímac, Ene and Mantaro Rivers (VRAEM) and to exercise caution when passing through the Upper Huallaga River Valley.

Both regions are between Lima and Cuzco, Peru’s most frequented tourist cities.

As a result, numerous reports of criminal activity such as drug trafficking, robberies, kidnappings, extortion and raids have occured within both regions, made more dangerous by a significantly limited law enforcement presence.

For a complete list of advisories and additional information, see the federal website here.