Travel advisories to the United States are nothing new, but more countries are warning their citizens of violence in the U.S. since the Las Vegas massacre.
Canada is warning citizens that firearms and crime are more prevalent in the U.S. New Zealand warns of active shooter incidents, while the United Kingdom describes a heightened threat of terrorism.
Legacy Travel's Catherine Banks says the warnings are no different than what comes from our own State Department.
“Other countries have a duty to advise their people just like our State Department does for us,” she says. “But we think it's safe here overall, and I think that's a lot of the same way that other countries feel about travel advisories we have for them.”
“There are lots of places that our country puts travel advisories out that are perhaps overreactionary in my opinion, a little chicken little.”
Natural disaster such as hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria also have prompted travel alerts.
Banks says it's up to individual travelers to decide what they're comfortable with.
“As human beings, we're just all at each other's mercy every moment that we walk through the day, and if you're going to start listening to every reason to be afraid then you're just going to sit in your house and never do anything.”
She insists the warnings do not mean the U.S. is less safe than anywhere else.