A deadly suicide blast hit Istanbul’s main tourist district on January 12, killing 10 and injuring 15 in Sultanahmet Square, at a time when post-Paris, post-Brussels, and post-Beirut, it's the last thing we wanted to hear. Responses from world leaders—and a resurgence of fear about the safety of travel—were swift. German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke out in Berlin about the attack and its victims, the majority of whom were German: "Istanbul was hit; Paris has been hit, Tunisia has been hit, Ankara has been hit before," she said. "International terrorism is once again showing its cruel and inhuman face today."

And while it's a natural reaction to stay away in the wake of tragedy, Traveler’s editor-in-chief Pilar Guzmán, who recently returned from a trip to Istanbul, says we should resist the urge to put our heads in the sand.

“When a friend emailed me a 'thank God, you’re back' after the news of the [January] attacks on Istanbul, my first reaction was I’d go again tomorrow,” says Guzmán. “It’s not as though it never crossed my mind while traveling to Istanbul with my family this past December that one of the world’s most culturally significant cities, like Paris, could be a target. But the truth is any city, including ones like the relatively unknown blighted L.A. exburb of San Bernadino, is equally vulnerable. If we give into our fears and never leave our homes (because as someone who rides the New York City subway every day to 1 World Trade, that’s really what we’re talking about) we give into the terrorists’ goal of crippling tourism in a city wholly reliant on it, of undermining its economy and governance. As we know from recent events in Syria (or Libya or Yemen), it’s precisely this instability that becomes fertile ground for ever more radical forms of terrorism. And round and round we go. By continuing to claim our collective citizenship of the world, we play our part in short-circuiting this vicious cycle.”

Terrorist attacks rightfully comprise hours (and hours) of the average news cycle, but statistics speak to their odds: A 2015 report from the Institute for Economics and Peace showed that 32,658 people were killed globally by terrorism in 2014, with 78 percent of all deaths and 57 percent of all attacks occurring in just five countries: Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Syria. That’s roughly commensurate to the number of fatal car crashes in the U.S. in 2013 alone. Comparably, the death toll of citizens both in Syria and fleeing the threat of extremists and future attacks has climbed into the hundreds of thousands: The United Nations estimates more than 250,000 Syrians have been killed in the country’s civil war; 12 million have been displaced; and nearly 400,000 are starving in areas currently under siege.

At a Glance

Turkey, which borders Syria and Iran, has grappled with the fallout of its unstable neighbors while continuing to market itself as a Mediterranean alternative. It’s mostly succeeded: Visitor numbers grew 200 percent between 2002 and 2014, and with some 40 million annual foreign visitors, it’s one of the world’s most-visited tourist destinations. Travel specialist Earl Starkey, who specializes in trips to Turkey, echoes Guzmán's sentiment. "Istanbul is a huge city, and I would not be afraid to be in the city—nor would I hesitate to go," he says. "The one thing I would say is generally, immediately after an attack like this, security is heightened. Until we know more about this attack, I would recommend people avoid large groups, and assure you that most neighborhoods in Istanbul are safe."

If You're There

Lay low: The site of the January attack, Sultanahmet Square, is located between three of Istanbul’s best-known attractions—the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and the Hagia Sophia, a sixth-century Byzantine church that doubles as a museum. The U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul recommends U.S. citizens avoid crowded tourist destinations and exercise caution if they are in the vicinity, listing both toll-free contact numbers and embassy addresses for citizens with inquiries.

Run through your itinerary. Catching a flight? Add in extra travel time—between 45 and 90 minutes—in anticipation of increased security, and check your carrier's website and social media pages for any updates.

Before You Go

Register with the U.S. State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, or STEP, which alerts the local U.S. embassies that you're in town. Should there be a weather disaster, civil unrest, or other emergency, the embassy will have your contact information and know that you're most likely in need of assistance, along with other Americans also in the country.

Check the U.S. State Department’s Alerts and Warnings website for details and assessments of any potential threats to foreign tourists.

Stay up-to-date by checking a destination’s local media, such as English-language newspapers online and local political or cultural blogs like The Daily Sabah and the Hürriyet Daily News.