The U.S. Government Just Slapped The World's Largest Democracy With A Travel Advisory

The U.S. has updated several travel advisories in recent months, including multiple "Do Not Travel" warnings for the summer. Some of the warnings have caused a stir, especially the new U.S. travel advisory for Canada amid the border and tariff tensions between the two countries. Even some of the safest countries in the world have been slapped with travel advisories. Now, a popular tourist destination in South Asia is under an updated Level 2 travel advisory, with added "Do Not Travel" warnings in some regions.

It's India, the largest democracy in the world, with a population of over 1.4 billion. The country has seen an upward trend in its tourism since 2023, when it saw 9.24 million foreign tourist arrivals—a whopping 43.5% increase from 2022. The number continued to soar in 2024 with the entry of 9.66 million international tourists. But India fears that its ramped-up Level 2 U.S. travel advisory may affect these numbers this year. Read on to learn about the current travel conditions in India, how to stay safe when visiting, and its biggest and "most confident" democracy.

On June 16, 2025, the U.S. Department of State updated its travel advisory for India, urging U.S. citizens to "Exercise Increased Caution" when visiting the South Asian country due to crime and terrorism. The warning highlighted that rape is one of the fastest-growing crimes in India. American travelers are reminded that sexual assault, violent crimes, and terrorist attacks typically occur in public places like tourist sites, transportation hubs, markets, shopping centers, and government facilities.

The State Department also raised "Do Not Travel" alerts for the following regions due to ongoing conflict:

Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir - terrorism and civil unrest

India-Pakistan Border - potential for armed conflict

Parts of Central and East India - terrorism

Manipur - threat of violence and crime

Northeastern States - terrorism and violence

The U.S. government strongly discourages its citizens from heading to these regions and other rural areas in India due to limited emergency services there. U.S. government employees working in India are also required to obtain special authorization to travel to these places if needed. These updates earned mixed reactions from the Indian government. Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, reportedly called it "unfortunate."

Jasiwal said the warnings from the State Department don't accurately reflect the current situation in India. He also noted that the country has been at Level 2 U.S. travel advisory for "several years." Congress leader, Supriya Shrinate, questioned the "silence" of the Indian government as she claimed that the advisory "will not only harm India's image but also impact everybody’s life in the country," as Asia News reported. But online, many Indian citizens argue that these alerts shed light on real concerns.