Travel Warning Issued: For Canada?

Previously voted the world’s most recommended country to visit just days ago, Canada’s popularity took a turn for the worse this week as Iran’s foreign ministry said Iranians should avoid travel to Canada.

The move was in response to Canadian diplomats walking out of the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday before Iran president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke about his vision for a “new world order,” reports CBC news.

Beating out Australia, Sweden and Switzerland for the second year in a row, the annual RepTrak study rated Canada number one after polling a panel of 36,000 people representing the G8 countries.

But earlier this month, the Canadian government announced the closing of its embassy in Tehran and expulsion of Iranian diplomats. After the boycott this week, Iran responded, saying criminals and “anti-Iranian groups” bent on revenge could now target Iranians visiting Canada, knowing they no longer have an embassy.

“I think it’s absolutely ridiculous,” Canada Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said when asked about the travel advisory, speaking to reporters in the foyer of the House of Commons as reported by CBC. “And I think 99 percent of Canadians would share that view.”

Probably a lot of Americans too.


Flickr photo by SeattleRay