Image Credit: Mannen av börd

You might not realize this, but there are currently many organized tours to places like Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, and North Korea.

But recently the U.S. State Department has issued a sternly worded travel warning, directed at any Americans thinking of signing up for the tours of North Korea.

In recent years, 14 U.S. citizens have been detained and incarcerated while on some of these tours, for taking photos, or having prohibited literature—in some cases even a Bible.

The state department is concerned that U.S. travelers, even on approved tours, may be targeted by the North Koreans and used as negotiating tools to force the U.S. to send more food aid to that country.

So for the moment, this is a warning I would heed.

For more information about travel safety, check out:

• How Terror Attacks Affect the Travel Industry
• Travel Detective Blog: After the Attacks at Istanbul Airport
• What You Should Know About Personal Safety in Hotels

Keep reading for more travel tips.