In the age of Isis, how vigilant do UK tourists need to be?

Video: Simon Calder looks into the Foreign Office's call for UK tourists to be more vigilant abroad

Tourists examine a map. (WILL OLIVER | AFP | Getty Images)

Simon Calder was in Barcelona at Antoni Gaudí's Sagrada Familia when he learned that the world was now a more threatening place for the British tourist.

In early November, British travellers in even the most innocuous of nations were urged by the Foreign Office to be more vigilant. The FO sent about 100 emails updating Britons on the latest events that could affect travel abroad.

Some of the warnings were even addressed to UK tourists going to Iceland, Malta, Liechentenstein and San Marino.

The terrorism section for each country had been changed. The usual first line, "There is a low threat from terrorism", remained the same. But then a new paragraph had been inserted:

"There is considered to be a heightened threat of terrorist attack globally against UK interests and British nationals, from groups or individuals motivated by the conflict in Iraq and Syria. You should be vigilant at this time."