State Department Debuts New System

Planning to travel anytime in the near future? Well, it will supposedly be easier to understand potential threats and travel advisories, though our hope is you don’t have to. On Wednesday, the State Department officially launched the new travel advisory system. The whole goal of the new-tiered system is to make it easier for travelers to understand security threats abroad. All of the tiers in the new system are based on level of crime, civil unrest and more.

Here is a breakdown of the 4-tier system:
1. Exercise normal precaution
2. Exercise increased caution
3. Reconsider travel
4. Do not travel

Pretty simple, right? It’s confusing that it has taken this long for the State Department to make the travel advisory system this simple and easy to understand. Now, bear in mind, these are not rules. They are guidelines. Which means, if you want to travel to a particular destination that is deemed tier-2 or tier-3, you absolutely still can. The only place banned for Americans to travel is North Korea, and that ban was enacted over the summer.