Why has the advice been changed?

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice has been reviewed following the continuing serious unrest in Kenya, and more specifically because of a series of massed rallies planned for today. The new FCO advice is to avoid all but essential travel to Kenya.

What constitutes all but essential travel?

The accepted definition of the FCO advice means go if you must - be it for business, huminatarian or family reasons, for example. Non essential travel means holidays - and tour operators, for legal reasons, now generally suspend package trips as soon as the FCO issues the all-but-essential advice.

Q&A: travel to Kenya latest

A change in Foreign Office advice means package holidays to Kenya are effectively suspended

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Comment: Kenya's tourism troubles

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Holiday flights to Kenya suspended

Charter flights to Kenya have been put on hold following a change in travel advice from the Foreign Office

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BACKGROUND

• FCO issues Kenya travel warning

• 50 die in blazing church as tribal war looms

• ‘We’ve spent three days hiding in our homes’

• British tourists told to stay indoors

Related Links

• Comment: Kenya's tourism troubles

It is up to the individual traveller to decide whether their trip is necessary. The FCO states: "Only the traveller can judge what is essential to him or her, and make an informed decision based on the risks".

A spokeswoman for the FCO told Times Online: "We cannot dictate to people and tour operators whether to go ahead with holidays; it is up to them what decision to make based on our advice."

Does this mean I can't get to Kenya?

If you have booked a holiday through a tour operator, and are due to depart on Friday or Saturday you will probably be offered an alternative holiday or a refund. Most members of the Federation of Tour Operators (which represents Britain's biggest holiday companies) have heeded FCO advice and suspended holidays due to depart on Friday or Saturday.

However, scheduled flights continue to operate with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic to Nairobi and the wording of the ban means it is up to the individual whether or not to travel.

According to the Kenya Tourist Board, most of the areas experiencing violence so far are not tourist areas. A spokesman told Times Online: "All the airlines are still flying and people are still on holiday in Kenya... we are hoping the advice will revert back after these demonstrations."

If I go to Kenya with the current travel advice in place will it mean my travel insurer will not pay out if I get in trouble?

There's no succinct answer. Malcolm Tarling, spokesman for the Association of British Insurers says that insurance companies that stick word-for-word to their terms and conditions could argue that ignoring Foreign Office advice by visiting a dangerous country could mean no pay out.

He told Times Online: "If you travel against Foreign Office advice and are injured, insurers could argue that you are putting yourself at extra risk, and they expect you to take reasonable care. Insurance policies are not designed to cover you in what might be seen as carelessness. In the same way that you are covered for theft if possesions are stolen, if you leave an expensive watch on a sun lounger, an insurer could argue that you didn't take adequate care.

"That said, insurers would be unlikely to leave you high and dry if you got into trouble while on holiday. Whether a company pays out would be on a case-by-case basis. The first thing to remember is that most travel policies will cover cancellations as a result of changing circumstances, such as a change in travel advice."

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