Is Traveling to France Safe?

After this month’s attacks in Nice on Bastille Day and November’s Paris attacks, the travel community responded quickly: major cruise lines decided not to stop in France and the country’s state of emergency was extended an additional three months. With the concerns about your personal safety, how does this affect any imminent travel plans to France?

Despite the France attacks, terrorism is still a negligible, unpredictable risk. Per a 2011 report released a few years ago by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the average American has just about the same odds of being crushed by their own furniture as they do of being a victim of terrorism.

France remains the leading tourism destination in the world, welcoming over 80 million tourists last year seeking to admire the artwork at the Louvre to the country’s incredible wineries. While this year has seen tourism slow down, the reasons aren’t entirely due to terrorism. Fuel shortages in May plus last month’s flooding were also reasons.

Per research from the World Travel & Tourism Council, its takes just over twelve months for tourism numbers to return to their previous levels. This may seem like a prolonged period of time, yet it’s much shorter than factors like political unrest or an environmental disaster. Terrorism has the least impact on the number of visitors and recovery time. The city of Paris has also largely reaffirmed its place as a destination.

Whether you decide to travel to France or another country, always remain aware of your surroundings, especially at major events such as sports or concerts or any areas where large crowds may gather.

This update is provided by travel insurance provider Trawick International. Some of our travel insurance plans include international and domestic inbound and outbound travel insurance, missionary travel insurance, trip protection and cancellation, visitor insurance, and Schengen Visa. Call 877-233-4591 for more information.