Many governments issue travel warnings to alert expats and travellers about threats to their security while overseas.
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Two of the main organisations with comprehensive risk assessments of short term travel problems and longer term analysis of living and working in another country are the British Foreign and Commonwealth office and the US State Department.
Both have online portals with a wealth of up-to-the-minute information about unrest, travel difficulties and crime fed in by embassies and consulates around the world.
Besides the obvious trouble spots of The Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Sudan and the Ebola hit countries of West Africa, both governments are highlighting lesser-known problems for travellers.
The US State Department has particular concerns about personal safety in Venezuela, where the murder rate is so high US government staff are escorted around the capital Caracas by specialist security staff.
The State Department says the Venezuelan Violence Observatory counted 24,763 murders in the country during 2013 – which is one of the highest levels in the world.
On average, 79 murders are committed for every 100,000 people in the country, while this almost doubles to 134 for 100,000 people living in the capital.
Murder capital
Also. 625 kidnappings were reported, but as 80% are unrecorded, the number is believed to be many times higher
The British government is warning expats and travellers not to travel on public transport in the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem after a number of violent attacks against passengers.
In the latest, a number of passengers were injured by a man wielding a knife.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office warns of violent demonstrations after Friday prayers.
In other travel news, Dubai International Airport has just become the official busiest carrier of international passengers.
In 2014, 70 million international travellers passed through the United Arab Emirates hub which links Europe with the Asia Pacific.
“We expect the numbers to keep growing as December set yet another new record for international passengers,” said a spokesman.
Find latest travel warnings
- To check out the latest British government worldwide travel warnings, go to the FCO web site and select a country
- The US government also issues regular travel warnings online
- For ABTA travel information, visit their web site
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