Talking Points – France
Copyright © 2016 – Travel Leaders Group LLC. All rights reserved.
The following Talking Points can be used in conversations with the media and clients when
discussing travel to France and recent terror attacks. (Updated July 26, 2016)
1. While there have been four high profile attacks in France since the beginning of 2015,
the U.S. State Department has no Travel Warning in effect advising Americans against
traveling there. It does maintain a longstanding Travel Alert for Europe advising
Americans to exercise vigilance.
2. All travelers, no matter what country they visit, can take precautions to help ensure
their safety and well-being.
3. Safety is our top priority for our clients. We provide them with the facts so they can
make informed decisions about their travels.
Below you will find additional information, supporting material and statistics to help further
illustrate each talking point.
1. While there have been four high profile attacks in France since the beginning of 2015,
the U.S. State Department has no Travel Warning or Alert in effect advising Americans
against traveling there. It does maintain a longstanding Travel Alert for Europe advising
Americans to exercise vigilance.
According to The Wall Street Journal, two men pledging allegiance to Islamic State
attacked a Roman Catholic church during Mass in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, killing a
priest and gravely injuring another person in the first attack on a church amid a string of
recent attacks on Western Europe.
o The Catholic priest, the Rev. Jacques Hamel, 86, was killed in the northern
region of Normandy, according to a statement posted on the diocese website.
o CNN reports that the two men took five people hostage in what French President
Francois Hollande called a “cowardly assassination.” Three of the hostages
were freed unharmed, but one remains in critical condition, said French interior
ministry spokesman Pierre-Henri Brandet.
o According to the BBC, investigators are examining whether one of the attackers
was Adel Kermiche, who according to authorities, was 19-year-old man under
court order to wear an electronic bracelet for trying to travel to Syria.
According to a French intelligence source, [he] tried to enter Syria twice
after becoming radicalized following the Charlie Hebdo magazine office
attacks in Paris. The attacker was associated with Maxime Hauchard, a
French jihadi who appeared in an ISIS beheading video in 2014, the
source said.
On July 14 – Bastille Day in France, in Nice, a self-proclaimed ISIS terrorist drove a
truck filled with guns, explosives and grenades into a crowd gathered for a fireworks
display along the city’s Promenade des Anglais. At least 84 people were killed with three
Americans among the dead. An additional 308 people were wounded.
o “Investigators have determined that the truck driver forced his way through a
police checkpoint, according to one of the security officials. He entered the famed
Promenade des Anglais that lines Nice’s curved shoreline at the level of the
Magnan tunnel, and drove at high speed for about a mile along the palm treelined
avenue until he was killed by police in front of the Palais de la Méditerranée
hotel,” according to The Wall Street Journal.
“A police officer guarding one of the barricades along the promenade said
the truck had driven toward a crowd-control barrier slowly before
suddenly accelerating into it,” according to The Wall Street Journal.
o French President Francois Hollande called this a terrorist act.
Because of the attack, lawmakers approved a six-month rollover of
France’s state of emergency on July 20, reports Reuters.
On November 13, 2015, in Paris, a series of coordinated terror attacks occurred at
various locations across the city – including the Bataclan theater, several restaurants
and cafes in the 10th and 11th districts and outside the Stade de France – in which 130
people were killed and another 368 were injured, some seriously.
On January 7, 2015, in Paris, two terrorists broke into a French weekly newspaper,
Charlie Hebdo, where they killed 11 and injured another 11.
No Travel Warning has been issued by the State Department warning Americans
against travel to France. The State Department has issued a statement regarding the
attack in Nice saying:
o “U.S. citizens should exercise vigilance in public and residential areas, and
tourist destinations. Expect disruptions in commercial and public transportation,
and check with your transportation provider (e.g., airline, train operator, etc.)
before traveling to or from the affected area.”
o “U.S. citizens are encouraged to monitor media and local information sources
and factor updated information into personal travel plans and activities. Specific
safety concerns should be addressed to French law enforcement authorities who
have responsibility for the safety and security of all visitors to France.”
On May 31, 2016, the U.S. State Department updated its Travel Alert for Europe as part
of its “continuous efforts to provide Americans travelling abroad with information about
relevant events…”
o “We are alerting U.S. citizens to the risk of potential terrorist attacks throughout
Europe, targeting major events, tourist sites, restaurants, commercial centers
and transportation. The large number of tourists visiting Europe in the summer
months will present greater targets for terrorists planning attacks in public
locations, especially at large events.”
o The Europe Travel Alert does not warn against travel to Europe, nor does it warn
against attending events; instead, it advises Americans to be aware of potential
risks.
o This alert is very much in keeping with the longstanding Worldwide Caution that
has continuously been in effect since 9/11 and will expire on August 31, 2016.
The United Kingdom’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office does not explicitly warn against
travel to France, but it does advise the following:
o “There is a high threat from terrorism. Attacks could be indiscriminate. Due to
ongoing threats to France by Islamist terrorist groups, and recent French military
intervention against Daesh (formerly referred to as ISIL), the French government
has warned the public to be extra vigilant and has reinforced its own domestic
and overseas security measures. You should be vigilant in public places and
follow the advice of local French authorities.”
o “Around 17 million British nationals visit France every year. Most visits are
trouble-free. The most common problem reported is pick-pocketing. See Safety
and security.”
The Government of Canada indicates, “There is no nationwide advisory in effect for
France. However, you should exercise a high degree of caution due to the current
elevated threat of terrorism.”
2. All travelers, no matter what country they visit, can take precautions to help ensure
their safety and well-being.
We recommend that U.S. citizens follow the advice of the State Department and register
their travel plans at https://step.state.gov. This will help the State Department contact
travelers if there is a family emergency in the U.S., or in the event an emergency
transpires in the place where the individual is traveling.
o The U.S. State Department also offers a helpful guide called Traveler’s Checklist
which provides additional travel tips.
o Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained through the Consular
Information Program documents, by downloading the free Smart Traveler iPhone
App, following the State Department on Twitter or the Bureau of Consular Affairs
page on Facebook. Citizens can also call 888-407-4747 toll-free in the United
States and Canada or 202-501-4444 from other countries. These numbers are
available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, Eastern Time
(except U.S. federal holidays).
The updated State Department Travel Alert also provides practical steps American
travelers can take:
o “U.S. citizens should exercise vigilance when in public places or using mass
transportation. Be aware of immediate surroundings and avoid crowded places.”
o “Follow the instructions of local authorities, especially in an emergency.”
o “Monitor media and local information sources and factor updated information into
personal travel plans and activities.”
o “Be prepared for additional security screening and unexpected disruptions.”
o “Stay in touch with your family members and ensure they know how to reach you
in the event of an emergency.”
o “Register in our Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).”
While no one can say with certainty that any destination is 100% safe, we strongly
encourage our clients to use care and common sense – no matter where they travel – to
maximize their safety and security. For example:
o Leave your itinerary, and passport data page, with a friend or family member
back home so you can be contacted in case of an emergency.
o Know and respect the laws in the country you are visiting.
o Remain alert to your surroundings at all times. Follow your instincts and avoid
any areas or situations that seem as though they could become dangerous.
o Avoid all demonstrations, as even peaceful ones can quickly become unruly and
a foreigner could become a target of harassment. If caught unexpectedly near a
demonstration, obey instructions from police and leave the area as quickly as
possible.
o Do not display expensive looking jewelry, large amounts of money or other
valuable items. Also, do not leave luggage unattended in public areas and do not
accept packages from strangers.
o Check with your cell phone provider prior to departure to see if your phone is
capable of roaming on GSM or 3G/4G international networks.
o Check your medical insurance coverage to make sure it applies overseas. If it
doesn’t, consider buying travel insurance that covers overseas medical attention
and medical evacuation.
3. Safety is our top priority for our clients. We provide them with the facts so they can
make informed decisions about their travels.
Our business is founded on repeat customers. Therefore, we want to be sure everything
goes off without a hitch.
We provide the facts so our clients can make informed decisions about their travel plans.
We closely monitor the U.S. Department of State website for travel alerts for all
destinations, including those that are most popular with our clients.
Should we become aware of an issue for a specific destination, we alert clients who may
be planning to travel there so they can make determine for themselves if they still wish to
travel.
We also work closely with respected airlines, hotels, resorts, cruise lines, tour operators
and other suppliers to remain informed of security precautions they’re taking to guard
our clients’ safety.