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If you’re dreaming of an international vacation in 2025 and aren’t sure where to go, there are more than 20 destinations you can immediately cross off the list.
Smartraveller maintains an up-to-date overview of travel advisories for countries around the world, based on information from embassies, high commissions, consulates, the Australian Intelligence Community and the National Threat Assessment Center in ASIO.
Heading into 2025, Smartraveller has listed 22 destinations as ‘Do Not Travel’ due to ongoing security concerns, from the threat of terrorism and violent crime to strict laws and ‘uncertain security situations’.
Three European destinations made the list: Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.
All three have been flagged for the “unstable security environment” caused by Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, which threatens to spill over into neighboring Belarus.
Australians have also been warned not to travel to Russia due to the ‘dangerous security situation’ in the country and the risk of arbitrary detention or arrest.
Three Asian countries are also listed as ‘Do Not Travel’: Afghanistan, North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) and Myanmar.
Terrorism and kidnappings are common in Afghanistan and foreigners are regularly targeted. Therefore, Australian travelers are strongly advised against traveling there.
North Korea’s borders are effectively closed to Australians, so travel there is limited at first, but tourists are warned to stay away as the laws in North Korea are very different and there is a high risk of arbitrary detention or arrest .
Violence, detentions and human trafficking are widespread in Myanmar and Australians are urged not to travel there.
Only two destinations from the Americas are listed as ‘Do Not Travel’: Haiti and Venezuela – both due to general security risks, the threat of violent crime and shortages of basic needs such as food, water and fuel.
In the Middle East, five locations currently have a ‘Do not travel advisory’: Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and Syria.
The ongoing military conflict between Israel and Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territories has caused tensions in several Middle Eastern countries and Australian travelers are being warned not to travel to any of these locations for their own safety.
Africa is the continent with the most countries listed as ‘Do Not Travel’ by Smartraveller, with nine destinations currently listed: Burkina Faso, Somalia, Libya, South Sudan, Sudan, Central African Republic, Chad, Mali and Niger.
Most of these countries are marked as dangerous for Australian travelers due to the high threat of armed conflict, terrorism, kidnapping and violent crime.
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