State Dept Says "K" Is For Kidnapping
The U.S. Department of State created a new indicator to warn travelers of kidnapping risk in 35 countries, including the Philippines, Colombia, Kenya, Russia and Mexico. The countries have been labeled with a “K” to communicate more clearly to U.S. citizens the risk of hostage-taking by criminal terrorist actors around the world.
Almost coinciding with the new State Departments advisory, an American tourist and her driver were abducted at gunpoint from a popular wilderness camp in a Uganda national park. They were freed after an alleged “negotiated handover."
There is an appetite for international travel. Many tourists and business travelers alike are inspired by articles like “36 Hours in Bogotá” published a few months ago in The New York Times, which touted the Columbian capital as a gallery scene with a rapidly evolving food and bar culture. According to The World Tourism Organization, international tourism activities were up 6% in 2018 to 1.4 billion, (Middle East +10%, Africa +7%, Asia Pacific and Europe both at +6%). Business travel managers expect activities to increase in the coming years as well.
Takeaway: Even though an entire country may be considered high-risk, there may be reason to travel to a particular location for business or personal reasons. Insite performs detailed itinerary assessments and protects clients while traveling globally. We manage travel security programs that ensure regular communications/check-ins and provide exit strategies should emergencies occur.
For more information, please contact us.