The Dutch State Department has lifted its travel advisory code for Paris from green to yellow due to increased potential terror threats.
It means visitors are not directly discouraged from going but should be “mindful of security risks”.
In its updated advice on December 8, the ministry said: “Throughout France, and especially in Paris, keep an eye out for possible new violent attacks.”
That was likely in reference to recents stabbing incidents in France, one near the Eiffel Tower on December 2 where one man died and several others were injured.
Prior to that, on October 13 there was also a knife attack in Arras, Northern France, that killed a teacher and wounded three other people, raising the threat levels throughout France.
Both assaults were reported to have been carried out by radical Islamists.
In light of those atrocities, in major French cities and busy tourist locations there is now a heightened risk of a terrorist attacks, according to the Dutch Government.
Over the past few weeks, museums, schools and other public locations have been regularly evacuated, in several cases due to suspicious unattended packages having been identified. The French authorities also now carry out tighter personal identity checks.
In November, French authorities approved the use of two spy drones to monitor this year’s Strasbourg Christmas Market.
Dutch visitors to Paris are advised to be vigilant in crowded areas and to stay up to date about current situations and any additional security measures.
They can register their stays in France via the Dutch Embassy. Those who do will receive information updates about the security situation if anything changes.
Paris, one of the most popular tourist cities in the world, especially in the holiday season, is also set to host the 2024 Olympics. Experts have already pointed to what they see as a worrying lack of security personnel.
As the Dutch recommendations were revealed, on the same day the Parisian police were engaged in a manhunt for a violent sexual predator on the city’s subway system.
The subject is suspected of sexually abusing or attempting to rape four women on the system between December 5 and 6.
"With what is happening now in Gaza, you can be sure that more attacks will follow," says Belgian terrorism expert @p_vanostaeyen who warns people to stay away from Brussels during the upcoming Christmas and New Year’s festivities. https://t.co/5qv0xSQnsE
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) December 4, 2023
