Fewer Australians visiting high-risk destinations
Travel to dangerous areas probably not covered by insurance.
The number of Australians visiting North Africa, the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa has fallen for the first time in half a decade, according to the latest data.
finder.com.au analysed the latest overseas arrivals and departures figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and found that over the past 12 months fewer Aussies had travelled to countries deemed "dangerous" or "unsafe" by the Australian government.
158,200 Australians visited Sub-Saharan Africa in the 12 months to July 2016, down from 159,800 in 2015. Four countries on the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade's (DFAT) "Do Not Travel" list are in the region.
Despite this, almost a quarter of a million Aussie travellers (231,200) visited the Middle East and North Africa in the year to July 2016, with five countries in these regions making DFAT's "Do Not Travel" list.
There are 12 off-limits countries (below) and 28 countries where travel is not advised in certain areas.
Australians are not only travelling abroad, they're sending money overseas too. In the past year, there's been a 155% hike in the number of Aussies sending money abroad.
Australia's consumer watchdog recently advised holidaymakers to be cautious when booking on travel websites such as Airbnb, to avoid scammers attempting to retrieve deposits and funds directly.
Obtaining travel insurance to visit these countries can be difficult as most policies won't provide cover.
Thinking of visiting an unstable country against official government advice? Compare coverage options.
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