Tourists planning travel in Europe should continue to follow government advice to be “be vigilant” as the threat of terrorism has increased following two major knife attacks on Friday. Both The Hague, in The Netherlands, and London, fell victim to vicious attacks. As Christmas approaches, terrorism warnings from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office remain in place to tourists jetting off on European holidays.
Friday marked a devastating day for London and The Hague as eight people fell victim to knife attacks in two different situations.
A confirmed terrorist attack took place in the capital of the UK, only weeks after the country’s terror threat level dropped from “severe” to “substantial”, meaning the government felt an attack was “likely” rather than “highly likely”.
The attack took place at 1:58pm in inside Fishmongers’ Hall before spilling out onto London Bridge.
An attacker, now named as Usman Khan, launched a fatal knife attack at a conference about reforming convicted prisoners.
He was then chased out onto the street by members of the public who were fighting to stop the attack.
Two people lost their lives while a further three were injured.
Police and the government have called the attack a terrorist incident.
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With Christmas fast approaching, which has unfortunately been a popular time for attacks across Europe, the government has in place a series of terror warnings.
In The Netherlands, the risk of a terror attack remains “likely”.
According to the FCO: “There is a general threat from terrorism.
“There may be increased security in place over the festive period, including at Christmas markets and other major events that might attract large crowds. “You should remain vigilant and follow the advice of local authorities.”
The government has also issued warnings for several other popular tourist destinations over the upcoming Christmas period.
Markets are a main feature in most UK cities and across the wider continent.
The FCO currently has a travel warning in place for hotspots including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, Sweden, Netherlands, Norway, Czech Republic, Denmark, Belgium and Austria.
What is the FCO terror threat scale?
The FCO maintains an up-to-date terror threat scale which works to determine how safe your favourite holiday hotspot is.
The level is set by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre and the Security Service (MI5) using national security information. They do not have an expiry date and can change at any time.
There are five levels of threat:
Low means an attack is highly unlikely.
Moderate means an attack is possible but not likely.
Substantial means an attack is likely.
Severe means an attack is highly likely.
Critical means an attack is highly likely in the near future.
The same scale is used for setting the domestic threat level too.
While terrorist attacks can not be predicted, there are some ways tourists can keep themselves as safe as possible.
Travel expert Frank Brehany shared his top tips with Express.co.uk.
He said: “The first thing for consumers – for any holiday – is they should always research their destinations and understand what has happened there in the past, as that will indicate what their comfort level will be.
“How much risk are you prepared to accept? Deciding that is really important.
“Next, follow any advice – not just from the UK foreign office. Look across countries, so the UK, Ireland, France, Germany; do a mix and match and compare and contrast as you get a great set of information.
“It really is down to how people feel about risk – because of the deficit in what I see as travel industry/FCO advice to UK citizens, in recent years consumers have had to become their own risk assessors. I’m no different, I do this too.”
