The US State Department has updated its travel advisories for 35 countries with a new indicator to highlight the risk of kidnapping and hostage taking.

High-threat countries will now be labeled with a “K” in order to “communicate more clearly to US citizens the risks of kidnapping and hostage taking by criminal and terrorist actors around the world,” according to the State Department.

Travel advisories the following African safari countries have been updated to include the “K” indicator: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, and Uganda.

Mexico, a common destination for Americans, has also received the “K” indicator.

Ian Proctor
Ultimate Africa President
“I first visited Africa in the late 1980s. I came face to face with a wild elephant, and fell in love with being on safari! I made it my goal to create an African travel company that was all about authentic wildlife experiences. Many years later we are one of the top African travel companies in the Americas – known for arranging custom safaris to East and Southern Africa; personal trips, no cookie cutter stuff.”