These Mediterranean holiday destinations are the most – and least – likely to be attacked by terrorists
Here is the latest government travel advice for UK holidaymakers taking trips around the Med
THIS week, families of the 30 Brits massacred in Tunisia in 2015 announced plans to take legal action against travel giant TUI over claims the firm did not do enough to warn travellers of the risk of terror attacks.
Now the threat of further attacks by ISIS and other terrorist groups in popular tourist resorts has left millions of Brits carefully weighing up this summer's holiday destinations.
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So what popular destinations are more and least likely of an attack?
Here is the latest government travel advice for UK nationals planning a holiday around the Mediterranean.
High risk destinations:
Turkey
Around 2.5 million Brits visit the Turkey each year, but the country has recently suffered a string of ISIS terror attacks.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office warns travellers to exercise caution as “further attacks are likely.”
The add: “Attacks could be indiscriminate and could affect places visited by foreigners.”
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office also advises against all travel to within 10km of the border with Syria and all but essential travel to the six provinces that line the border.
Egypt
More than 900,000 British nationals visit Egypt every year and most visits are trouble-free.
But there is a high threat from terrorism in Egypt and the FCO advise against all travel to the Governorate of North Sinai due to the significant increase in criminal activity and continued terrorist attacks on police and security forces.
The FCO believes that terrorists continue to plan attacks and these is also a threat of kidnapping, particularly in remote desert areas.
Following the Russian air crash, the FCO is advising against all but essential travel by air to or from the popular seaside resort of Sharm el Sheikh and UK airlines are not currently taking passengers directly to Sharm el Sheikh airport.
Tunisia
Tunisia is operating in a high risk status with the UK advising against travelling to the country for the foreseeable future.
A spokesman for the FCO said: “Since the attack in Sousse, we have been working closely with the Tunisian authorities to investigate the attack and the wider threat from terrorist groups in Tunisia.
“Although we have had good co-operation from the Tunisian government, including putting in place additional security measures, the intelligence and threat picture has developed considerably, reinforcing our view that a further terrorist attack is highly likely.
“On balance, we do not believe the mitigation measures in place provide adequate protection for British tourists in Tunisia at the present time.”
However, 20,000 Brits a year are still travelling to the country to take advantage of low cost hotels by taking flights via France and Germany, where travel bans are not
in place.
Morocco
Around 600,000 British nationals visit Morocco every year and most visits are trouble free, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office says that the country is high risk.
The advice reads: “There is a high threat from terrorism in Morocco.
“Attacks could be indiscriminate and could target foreigners. In April 2011, 17 people were killed and 25 injured in a large explosion in Marrakech at the Argana
Restaurant in Djema el-Fna Square.
“Protective security measures, including security personnel, may be visible in certain areas including hotels and sites popular with tourists.
"The Moroccan authorities have warned of an increased threat linked to the growing number of Moroccans sympathetic or belonging to Daesh and other extremist groups, and regularly report the disruption of terrorist cells, some of which intended to carry out attacks in Morocco.”
France
Around 17 million British nationals visit France every year and most visits are trouble-free, with the most common problem reported being pick-pocketing.
But the country is now classed as highly at risk from terrorism due to a string of
terror attacks – the most deadly being in Paris in 2015 when 130 victims died at the hands of ISIS killers.
Due to ongoing threats to France by Islamist terrorist groups, and recent French military intervention against ISIS, the French government has warned the public to be especially vigilant and has reinforced its security measures.
Previous to this, there were attacks on 20 December 2014 in Tours, a shooting on 7 January 2015 at the 'Charlie Hebdo' offices in Paris, a shooting on 8 January 2015 in Montrouge, the shooting and hostage siege at a Jewish supermarket in Paris and an attack against three French soldiers in Nice on February 3, 2015, which have all been have been treated by the French authorities as terrorist incidents.
Spain
The FCO report there is currently a general threat from terrorism, and attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners like Med holiday resorts.
The Spanish authorities are taking measures to protect visitors, but the FCO advises you should be vigilant and follow the instructions of the local authorities.
Israel
The FCO rates the country as high risk.
It says there are heightened tensions in Israel, brought about by rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel and Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, increasing the risk of retaliatory terrorist attacks in Israel.
As a result, the FCO advise against all travel to Gaza, the Sheba'a Farms and Ghajjar along the border with Lebanon (the 'Blue Line') and east of Route 98 along the Syrian border.
The FCO advise against all but essential travel to all other parts of Israel within 5km of the Israeli/Lebanese border.
There is a risk of kidnap in Gaza and along the border with Egypt and tourists should be aware that there is a long-standing policy of the British government not to deal with hostage takers.
Low risk destinations:
Cyprus
Around a million British nationals visit Cyprus every year and most visits are trouble-free.
The foreign Office considers that the country is just under a general threat from terrorism, in line with a heightened threat of terrorist attack globally.
Greece
Brits make around 2.7 million visits to Greece every year and most visits are trouble-free.
There have been several attacks involving explosives and automatic weapons against Greek institutions, shopping malls, media interests, diplomatic targets and the police in recent years, but the Foreign Office considers the country to be under just a general threat from terrorism and acts of political violence.
British nationals aren’t normally considered a specific target, but attacks could happen in places visited by foreigners.
Croatia
While Croatia technically sits just above the Med on the Adriatic Sea, around 620,000 British nationals visited the country in 2016 and most visits are trouble-free.
The country is considered to have just an underlying threat from terrorism, with attacks seen as unlikely.
Italy
Around three million Brits visit Italy every year, both in the winter and the summer.
The country is classed as just under a general threat of terrorism, but tourists are warned to be vigilant.
There are also some isolated cases of domestic terrorism, where attacks carried out by the extreme left-wing and secessionist groups are aimed at official Italian targets, mainly in the form of small bombs and incendiary devices.