It’s no surprise when the U.S. Department of State issues travel advisories for American citizens after a terrorist attack. But what does this actually mean for you?

Let’s start with the language: The State Department has two categories of travel advisories:

Travel alerts usually have a short shelf life and are based on major events like terrorism, a public health scare, or even something as straightforward as an election season.

So, what does a travel warning mean? A travel warning is based on longer-term or broader concerns, like an ongoing civil war, frequent terrorist attacks, or an unstable government.

The State Department recently updated a warning that applies to the entire world. Based on terrorism threats and violence against U.S. citizens, it issued a warning about all travel…everywhere.

Now, I think you probably know what I’m going to say next. Does this mean you need to cancel your next international flight? Of course not.

The point of a warning like this is to remain vigilant, stay up-to-date on local news, and be aware of your surroundings…which should be part of your process no matter where you’re traveling: whether it’s downtown Cairo or downtown Disney.

For more information, visit the Travel Safety archives.

Keep reading for more travel tips.