Travel agents shouldn’t be surprised if the U.S issues a travel alert for Brazil in anticipation of the Summer Olympics, according to State Department consul Mark Goldrup.
Goldrup, speaking during an ASTA webinar on the Olympics on Thursday, said issuing an alert for a large event is common.
“I think in all but maybe one of the last several Olympics we have done travel alerts, so if you see a travel alert come out, don’t be reading too much between the lines,” he said. “It doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re scared about something, it just means that this is a large event and so there’s going to be a large volume of the petty crime and the kinds of things that you would see at any gathering of people.”
Goldrup also highlighted the difference between a travel alert and a travel warning. Warnings mean U.S. citizens are advised not to go to a country for a certain reason, whether that be weather, terrorism or something else, he said.
“Travel alerts are sort of a level below that,” he said. “They’re something we want to call people’s attention to, but we’re not saying don’t go.”
The only group the Department of State is advising to stay away from Brazil are pregnant women because of the threat of Zika virus, Goldrup said.
“Other than that, we advise you to take precautions, and if you think you might become pregnant, talk to your doctor,” he said.
Information on travel alerts, travel warnings and destination-specific information can be found on the State Department website. The information there is useful for people to read before they travel, he told agents.
Answering an audience question, Goldrup said the Department of State is anticipating “pretty healthy attendance” at the Olympics this year, and is tracking ticket sales.
“At this point, no, they’re not seeing anything below the expected sales base on previous Olympics,” he said. “That said, the bulk of the people buy closer to the date, anyway, so we don’t really know at this point.”