Lifestyle Trend: Foreign Office’s travel advice for Greece, Turkey and Dubai ahead of Easter holidays You Should Know

As the Middle East conflict continues, the Foreign Office is continually updating its travel advice for holiday hotspots.

With Easter just around the corner, Brits are usually getting themselves ready to jet off somewhere hot and sunny to escape the unpredictable weather. However, many may be more reluctant to do so as the conflict in the Middle East continues.

At the beginning of the conflict, many airlines had to cancel their services in the region completely due to the global air space being shut down. While this disruption has lessened over the last few weeks, there are still a few airlines that are only offering limited services.

At the moment, British Airways have cancelled all of its flights to and from Dubai until at least the end of May, causing havoc for those set to use the airline over the Easter break. Meanwhile, Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways, have limited their commercial flights from their bases to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha.

While holidaymakers will be informed if any upcoming flights are cancelled through their airline provider, Brits can also look at the Foreign Office’s travel advice for different countries. This is regularly updated, with some places being branded as unsafe for its citizens to travel to.

Along with the current concerns surrounding the Middle East conflict, the Foreign Office will also recommend British nationals to avoid certain destinations if there are any political conflicts, safety concerns, or natural disasters. If you choose to go against this advice, be warned that your travel insurance may be invalidated, reports Liverpool Echo.

As the Easter holidays are only a couple of weeks away, we have collated the current travel advice for holiday hotspots Turkey, Greece and Dubai. This is the advice at the time of writing, so it is important that travellers keep a lookout for any updates in the coming days.

Turkey

At the moment, the Foreign Office advises against all travel within 10km of the border with Syria. This is due to fighting and a heightened risk of terrorism. Additionally, regional escalation poses significant security risks and has led to travel disruption.

British nationals are urged to follow advice from local authorities and to monitor local and international media for up to date information. Travellers are warned that while there is 24-hour consular assistance available by phone or online, in-person support is severely limited in areas where travel should be avoided.

If an emergency does occur, Brits should take shelter, stay indoors or find the nearest safe building or designated shelter. You may find additional protection by staying in an interior stairwell or room with as few external walls or windows as possible.

For those heading to tourist areas, Turkish officials have confirmed that the tourism infrastructure is intact and fully operational. Accommodation providers and resorts are reporting that they are still welcoming guests as usual, and flights from the UK to Turkey are continuing to run on schedule.

Additionally, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey and the Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) have confirmed that tourist activities across the country are continuing as normal without any interruptions.

Greece

For those travelling to either mainland or the islands of Greece, Brits will be happy to know that there are currently no travel warnings for the area. However, officials are still monitoring the broader regional impact so it is best to stay up to day with the latest advice.

The Foreign Office advises: “If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.”

Greece follows the Schengen area rules, which means your passport must have a date of issue less than 10 years before the date you arrive. Additionally, the passport’s expiry date also needs to be at least three months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area.

Those going on holiday in Easter may experience a longer wait in the airports of Greece as the new Entry/Exit System (EES) is being rolled out across the Schengen area airports from April 10. This means visitors from the UK, US, Canada, and other non-EU countries will need to have their fingerprints and facial image recorded on first use.

Dubai

Due to the ongoing conflict, the Foreign Office has warned against all but essential travel to the United Arab Emirates. If you travel against this official advice, your travel insurance could be invalidated.

The Foreign Office’s latest update states: “With commercial flights resuming to the UK from United Arab Emirates (UAE), we are pausing our ‘register your interest in flights from UAE scheme. If you are still in UAE and need to get back to the UK, please check availability with the commercial airlines. You can still register your presence if you are in UAE for further updates.”

As regional escalation poses risks, British nationals are being told to stay away from areas around security or military facilities, as well as US or Israeli institutions and facilities.

However, it is not only military structures that are being targeted, as Iran is also striking civilian infrastructures across the region, including roads, bridges, hotels, ports, energy facilities, financial institutions, oil production sites, airports, and water systems.

The Foreign Office warns: “Follow the instructions of the local authorities and monitor local and international media for the latest information.” It is also important to review departure plans and ensure that all travel documents are up to date.