(CNN) -- A number of governments offer advice on countries that travelers regularly visit, but acting on this information and deciding whether or not to go is another matter.
Recent controversy has surrounded Britain's Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO) and its guidance on trips to places such as the island of Bali in Indonesia and Spain's capital, Madrid.
In recent years the two popular destinations have suffered similar terrorist attacks with civilian fatalities numbering about 200, yet advice on travel to Spain and Indonesia differs greatly.
According to the FCO Web site, Bali still remains a "significant risk for visitors of further attacks, as elsewhere in Indonesia," whereas the risk is less for Spain: "travelers should take sensible precautions and remain vigilant," it says.
Last week the UK government body, which issues travel advisories on many countries, said it will post fewer outright travel bans based on terrorist threats, unless there is an "extreme and imminent danger."
"Many people continue to travel despite our warnings against all but essential travel," British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw said in a statement.
"We believe the public will be better served if such warnings are used more sparingly."
Travel bans can have a marked affect on the travel and tourism trade to the country in question. Critics say travel advisories may be politically motivated.
"I have never seen FCO advice on not going to Spain, because economically (the British) cannot stand that. But it is outrageous that the FCO still advises against going to Bali, " Mandy Nickerson of Bales Tours told The Times newspaper.
The FCO has been reviewing its travel advice policy since December 2003. It is now trying to strike a balance between danger and disruption in its reports and give consumers more information. That way they can make their own decisions.
But travel operators fear removing authoritative guidelines could put more liability on them and raise insurance premiums, according to a report in Travel Weekly magazine.
"It is a concern. At the moment, the FCO decides for us. If we have to decide, there is a possibility we could make the wrong decisions," Mike Sykes, council member for the Association of Independent Tour Operators, told the magazine.
Current travel bans issued by the FCO cover a list of 30 countries including the Ivory Coast, Somalia and Burundi in Africa, as well as parts of Georgia, Afghanistan, India, Iran, and the Philippines.
