US relaxes travel advisory for Sri Lanka

The United States has downgraded its travel advisory for Sri Lanka urging its citizens to “exercise increased caution” due to threats of terrorism in the country.

Accordingly the previously issued Level 3 Travel Advisory, requesting citizens to “Reconsider Travel” to the island nation, has now been lowered to Level 2 Travel Advisory (Exercise Increased Caution).

On June 24, 2019, the State Department lifted the ordered departure status of family members of U.S. government employees under the age of 18 as well as the authorized departure status of non-emergency U.S. government employees and family members.

The travel advisory states that “terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets, shopping malls, government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, hospitals, and other public areas.”

The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Sri Lanka due to the security environment, it said.

The U.S. had issued its heightened travel advisory for Sri Lanka a day following the Easter Sunday suicide bombing, targeting Christian churches and hotels frequented by tourists, which killed several Americans.