Agents and operators have called on the government to improve the accuracy of its travel advice.
The plea for more up-to-date worldwide travel guidance, reviewed more frequently, follows an open letter asking the government to reform its advice for Sri Lanka, signed by more than 35 MPs, peers, travel providers and businesses.
The letter described current advice for Sri Lanka by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) as “overly harsh”.
Travel firms said FCDO advice had improved since pre-Covid but issues remained. Haslemere Travel managing director Gemma Antrobus said advice changed quickly to reflect problems but was not reversed as fast once a situation improved.
“It’s hugely frustrating when the FCDO doesn’t update its information,” she said.
Recent changes to advice for Middle Eastern countries had led to unwillingness to travel, she added, stressing the importance of working with specialists with strong destination knowledge.
Andara Travel managing director Sandra Mutter called the advice for Sri Lanka “overcautious”, adding: “It is really affecting a fabulous, safe destination.”
Intrepid Travel UK general manager Hazel McGuire said: “It’s important we put things into context. From time to time the FCDO advice is not updated as much as it should be.”
As an example, she said consumers should know “hundreds of thousands” of Brits have travelled to Morocco since the 2018 terrorist attack referenced in its advice.
Exoticca managing director Neil Sealy noted: “It has improved from the days of blanket bans but there’s room for further improvement.”
Neil Dobbs, owner of Sri Lanka specialist operator and agency Travel Gallery, said “misleading information” remained on the FCDO website for a “considerable amount of time”.
In response to the calls, the FCDO said updates were issued “as quickly as possible”.
A spokesperson said: “The safety of British people is the main factor when determining our travel advice. Our advice is designed to help British people make informed decisions about foreign travel and remains under constant review to ensure it reflects our latest assessment of risks when travelling abroad.”