U.S. issues 'do not travel' warning for 21 countries. What to know

The U.S. State Department issued a "do not travel" advisory for two more countries this past month, bringing the total number of countries to which Americans should avoid traveling to 21.

Which countries have a "do not travel" advisory? 

Dig deeper:

The 21 countries that were issued a "do not travel" advisory for U.S. citizens include: 

• North Korea
• Burkina Faso
• Yemen
• Iran
• South Sudan
• Syria
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Afghanistan
• Lebanon
• Central African Republic
• Belarus
• Iraq
• Ukraine
• Venezuela
• Haiti
• Libya
• Somalia
• Russia
• Burma
• Mali
• Sudan

For a full list of travel advisories, click here. 

Travel advisory levels

There are four travel advisory levels that the State Department can issue to a country. 

Level 1: Exercise normal precautions.

Level 2: Exercise increased caution.

Level 3: Reconsider travel.

Level 4: Do not travel.

More Americans plan to travel this year

What's next:

Spending on travel in the U.S. increased by 0.8%, according to a March assessment by the U.S. Travel Association.

Consumer confidence in the U.S. economy has dropped every month this year, but this hasn’t stopped Americans from continuing with their travel plans.

Excitement for travel remained strong and a record level of Americans said they had trips planned in the next six months, the association said. 

Travel to the US is down

The U.S. tourism industry expected 2025 to be another good year in terms of foreign travelers.

The number of international visitors to the U.S.  jumped in 2024, and some forecasts predicted arrivals from abroad this year would reach pre-COVID levels.

But three months into the year, international arrivals plummeted.

Angered by President Donald Trump’s tariffs and rhetoric, and alarmed by reports of tourists being arrested at the border, some citizens of other countries are staying away from the U.S. and choosing to travel elsewhere.

By the numbers:

For the January-March period, 7.1 million visitors entered the U.S. from overseas, 3.3% fewer than during the first three months of 2024.

Tourism Economics, which as recently as December anticipated the U.S. would have nearly 9% more international arrivals this year, revised its annual outlook last week to predict a 9.4% decline.

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