The U.S. Department of State issued a travel warning on Wednesday advising against all travel to Libya in the wake of a deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.
Christopher Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya, and three other diplomats were killed in the attack by an Islamist group on Tuesday.
Also on Tuesday, protesters attacked the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, climbing the walls and tearing down the American flag. The State Department did not issue any travel warnings or alerts for Egypt.
The State Department ordered the departure of all non-emergency U.S. government personnel from Libya following the attack, and noted that political violence has escalated in Benghazi and Tripoli.
The airports in Benghazi and Tripoli are open, according to the State Department, which encourages U.S. citizens to leave the country by commercial air.
Tour operator TunisUSA of Wayne Pa., has had its Libya program on hold since February 2011 because “security has not been assured,” said company founder Jerry Sorkin. Sorkin noted that the company was preparing to resume its Libya program this fall, and that he is preparing to go to Libya later this month.
“Without question these incidents are only harmful in terms of perceptions that Americans have,” Sorkin said of the news of the Libya attack and the repercussions it will have on travel to Libya as well as the ripple effect it could have on travel to neighboring North African countries Egypt and Tunisia, countries he believes that are safe for travelers. “One of the mistakes Americans often make is they lump the whole Arab world together.”
The State Department advises U.S. citizens traveling to or remaining in Libya to use extreme caution and to limit nonessential travel within the country.
Follow Michelle Baran on Twitter @mbtravelweekly.