what is eurasia what river would i use to travel to england

The conflict in Ukraine has travelers rethinking upcoming trips to Europe. Security experts weigh in on whether in that location is cause for business organization.

share this article

For the by 2 years, the bulk of global travelers have been very focused on one main issue when it comes to safe: the coronavirus pandemic. Simply that inverse seemingly overnight on Feb 24 when Russian troops invaded bordering Ukraine and war broke out in Europe, of a sudden making the conflict—rather than COVID—a top business organisation for many would-be international travelers.

Following the invasion, the U.S. embassy in Ukraine urged American citizens to depart immediately, and the U.Due south. Land Department issued a Level four Russia travel advisory informing U.Due south. citizens that they should non travel to Russia at this time due to "the unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian armed forces forces in Ukraine."

Russia's actions immediately prompted airspace closures over the conflict zone, forcing flight paths to be rerouted, and many nations, including Canada, the United States, and much of Western Europe, have since banned all Russian-operated flights from their airspace and airports. The conflict has resulted in an onslaught of sanctions on Russia and a spike in jet fuel prices due to the cutoff of supplies from the region.

There has also been a mass exodus of refugees—ane.73 1000000 to engagement, according to the United Nations—fleeing Ukraine to adjoining and nearby countries, including Poland (which has already welcomed more than than 1 1000000 people alone), Republic of hungary, Slovakia, Moldova, and Romania.

The Russian federation-Ukraine invasion is now a elevation concern for travelers

Every bit the world watches the heartbreaking crisis unfold in existent fourth dimension, contempo surveys and booking information show that the Ukraine invasion has already resulted in a drop in conviction and need for travel to Europe from the U.S. but as transatlantic travel was poised to feel a massive recovery surge after being battered due to the pandemic.

Travelers are now wondering: "Is it safe to travel to Italy?" or "Is it safe to travel to France?"—despite the fact that Rome and Paris are both roughly 1,500 miles from the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

Europe flight searches that were trending up in January—following the gradual turn down of the Omicron-fueled wave in COVID cases—accept started to slump subsequently the February 24 invasion, according to travel booking site Hopper. International flight searches have shifted abroad from Europe to destinations like Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean area, and since mid-February, Europe has dropped from 21 percentage to 15 per centum of international bookings, Hopper reported. (During a more normal year, like 2019, Europe typically accounts for approximately one-third of international bookings from the United States at this time of year.)

A survey conducted last week of 350 adult U.S. travelers with upcoming plans to visit Europe found that 62 percent are concerned well-nigh the war in Ukraine expanding to nearby countries. That was double the number of respondents—31 percent—who cited COVID-19 health and prophylactic concerns equally a factor in their Europe travel decisions.

The survey, which was conducted by MMGY Travel Intelligence, the research segmentation of marketing business firm MMGY Global, likewise constitute that nearly half of travelers (47 percent) would rather look and see how the situation in Ukraine plays out before making plans to visit Europe this year.

That expect-and-run into sentiment has been reflected elsewhere as well. When travel website the Vacationer surveyed 1,096 adult Americans last week, 40 percentage said they are reconsidering travel plans considering of Russia'due south invasion of Ukraine, and 36 percent reported that they feel less safe traveling at present than before the Russian invasion.

Given the concern and unease, nosotros reached out to travel risk management and security experts to offer their insights into whether it is safe to travel to Europe right now. Here's what they had to say.

Is it rubber to travel to Europe right now?

When asked if information technology is safe to travel to Europe right now, Mike Susong, senior vice president of global intelligence for crunch response and gamble management firm Crisis24, responds with "a qualified aye."

"The wholesale invasion of Ukraine by Russian combat forces is unprecedented in recent history, lethal and yet highly unpredictable every bit to the outcome and touch on," says Susong, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operations officer, U.S. Ground forces combat veteran, and a board member of the Defense Intelligence Agency'due south National Intelligence Academy Foundation. "Trouble can travel fast and touch our lives suddenly."

Simply, he adds, "Brussels, Kingdom of belgium is i,300 kilometers [800 miles] from Lviv, Ukraine." In other words, popular travel destinations in Western Europe are hundreds of miles from the armed clashes taking place in eastern Ukraine. Currently, the disharmonize is independent within the borders of Ukraine, Belarus, and western Russia, he notes.

Just one twenty-four hour period before Russian troops marched into Ukraine on February 24, Ukraine's foreign government minister Dmytro Kuleba warned the Un Full general Associates that "the beginning of a large-scale state of war in Ukraine will be the finish of the world order as we know information technology."

"Nosotros are currently at the middle of the largest security crisis in Europe since the Second World War," Kuleba added.

The invasion has already ushered in that heightened level of insecurity in Europe and throughout a world that is waiting and watching—frequently with gaping mouths and tears in their optics—to come across how information technology plays out and how astringent the repercussions volition be.

Is it safe to fly to, and through, Europe?

Even if their desired Europe travel destination is far from the conflict zone, some travelers are questioning whether information technology's prophylactic to wing beyond the pond at all.

"Traveler trepidation is understandable, but I don't feel there's whatsoever need to abolish vacations or business trips to Europe or Central European countries," advises Dan Richards, CEO of Global Rescue, a provider of medical, evacuation, and travel take a chance management services.

For some observers, the current conflict is bringing back memories of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which in 2014 was downed by a Russian-made surface-to-air missile over Ukraine on a flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. All 298 people on board the 777 were killed, leading prophylactic experts to call for tougher restrictions on commercial airliners flying near conflict zones.

"They've put new safeguards in place," says aviation prophylactic expert John Goglia, a former member of the National Transportation Prophylactic Board, adding that travelers should be reassured that "the airspace over Ukraine is totally closed off."

"It is safe to fly" inside Europe, Goglia says.

Jeremy Prout, a former U.Due south. Marine Corps officer and director of security solutions at International SOS, a global health and security risk management house, says that his firm has assessed that it is safe to travel in Europe correct now.

"What we believe is that Russian federation'south aims are really territorial control of Ukraine in order to create an boosted buffer from the West," says Prout. "It'southward unlikely that they're going to use military force against other European nations due to mutual defense pacts in place between the EU and NATO members. By starting a conflict with Romania, for example, yous're actually escalating a conflict that Russia is already struggling with at present into a much larger [conflict] and it would exist incredibly challenged to fight this on multiple fronts."

How the Russia-Ukraine crunch will affect travel to and within Europe—and how travelers tin can ready

While security and adventure direction experts for the most function agree that travel to the majority of Europe remains prophylactic right now, they as well acknowledge that at that place are several means in which the ongoing conflict could impact upcoming Europe trips. The best way for travelers to protect themselves and their Europe journeys is to be armed with information and to make applied preparations in advance of their divergence.

Commercial air traffic could exist rerouted, causing cancellations and delays

Due to airspace restrictions, international airlines are rerouting flights in society to keep shipping and passengers prophylactic. At the very least, the rerouting of some services could lead to longer flight times.

"Travelers should be aware that potential commercial air traffic rescheduling in Central European airspace may crusade flight delays or cancellations," says Richards. However, experts say the bulk of Europe air travelers likely won't be affected.

Protests are taking place throughout Europe

Protests against the war in Ukraine are happening across European cities, from Barcelona to Berlin, where thousands took to the streets over the weekend to voice their outrage against the war. "Anytime at that place are mass gatherings, in that location is increased risk related to the response of security forces and the actions of the protestors," says Frank Harrison, regional security managing director for North America at World Travel Protection, a travel and risk security management company.

Harrison notes that at this stage, all protests appear to be peaceful. "However, travelers should expect delays, restrictions, and opportunistic criminals looking for easy targets, so always exist aware of your surround. If you find yourself in a protestation that does go violent, movement away from the conflict area and avoid security forces. We have heard examples of tourists being mistaken for protestors by security forces," says Harrison.

A large number of refugees are leaving Ukraine

Harrison also reminds travelers that countries in Europe nearly and bordering Ukraine are being inundated with displaced persons and foreign nationals trying to escape. "For any planned visits to Eastern European countries that border Ukraine, be aware of congestion at the edge and the impact of the refugee crisis on transport infrastructure," he notes.

Travelers who would like to assist refugees fleeing Ukraine can donate to organizations that are aiding and supporting the displaced, including:

• United Nations Refugee Bureau (UNHCR)
• UNICEF, which is working to assistance children and their families
• International Rescue Committee (IRC), which assists people afflicted by humanitarian crises
• World Central Kitchen, which is feeding families fleeing the fighting in Ukraine

Stay informed and let people know your whereabouts

For those traveling abroad, in that location'southward always the option (and it's never a bad thought) to enroll in the U.S. State Section'southward Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (Pace), a gratuitous service that allows U.S. citizens heading to another country to register their travels with U.South. embassies and consulates. This is a manner to go frequent travel and security updates for the land or region they're traveling to, and also reach out for aid in the effect that commercial air options suddenly get limited.

Travelers should requite friends or family members dorsum home a copy of their itinerary, so their network is aware of their whereabouts, likewise as a copy of their passport and any other critical documents in example they terminate upwards needing an additional record.

"The most important thing near traveling to Europe correct at present is to stay informed and connected," says Harrison.

Travel protection services such equally Global Rescue, International SOS and Globe Travel Protection tin can provide evacuation, advisory and security protection services for those heading into a disharmonize zone.

Bring some extra cash

Prout of International SOS says that one matter travelers to Europe might want to practice is bring a fiddling more cash than usual in the consequence that at that place'due south some kind of cyber disruption that, for example, would brand obtaining cash from ATM machines difficult.

The upside: European countries continue to relax COVID restrictions

The state of war in Ukraine bated, 2022 is gearing upward to exist the easiest time to travel to Europe in two years, as European countries proceed to relax their COVID travel restrictions and eagerly anticipate what was expected to be a large uptick in visitors this year.

Italy and France recently dropped their prearrival COVID testing requirements for vaccinated travelers (the U.K. is also no longer requiring a prearrival test), and Iceland and Republic of ireland have dropped COVID restrictions entirely.

Of course, concerns well-nigh travel during a war are valid, but it remains truthful that at that place are advantages to traveling to Europe in 2022—namely to reunite with friends, family, and places many oasis't seen in far too long due to COVID restrictions and public health considerations. Every bit with the pandemic, the crisis in Ukraine has brought and so many people together in their desire to aid and support those who are at risk, reminding us once again that nosotros are more connected than always, fifty-fifty when nosotros are far apart.

Barbara Peterson contributed reporting.

wisesusaing.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.afar.com/magazine/is-europe-safe-for-travel

Share this post