Travel warnings draw on heightened risk, sourced from multiple sources -UK FCO representative

The UK’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) is defending its system of travel advice against criticism, according to Travel Weekly. Benjamin Saoul, head of the crisis management department at the FCO, told an Abta Travel Law Seminar “advice has to be driven by issues of safety and security … Trade or political concerns do not affect our advice. We are driven by considerations for the safety and security of the public.” There have been concerns about the FCO’s continued advice against flying to Sharm El Sheikh. The UN World Tourism Organisation and World Travel & Tourism Council have also repeatedly criticised the Sharm ban. Saoul says “when we advise against all but essential travel it means we assess there is a heightened risk … It’s a difficult area, not least because of the wide variety of sources [we draw on] and how we use classified intelligence.”