Missouri has made Fodor’s top 10 “no” list of places not to visit in 2018.  The travel publisher recommends against traveling to mostly exotic places in its compilation.

Image courtesy of Fodor’s

The Taj Mahal is on it’s no list because it’s under construction for repairs.  A visit to the country of Myanmar is discouraged because of violent ethnic cleansing and genocide.

Missouri is number seven on the list.  Fodor’s notes the state is where, among other things: SB 43 was passed making it more difficult to sue employers for discrimination, a state representative argued that homosexuals weren’t human beings, a tourist who got lost and ran out of gas was later found murdered in his jail cell without ever being put under arrest, and two men were hunted down and shot on suspicion of being Muslim on the outskirts of Kansas City.

The publication relies heavily on statements in a travel advisory released by the NAACP of Missouri.

State NAACP chapter President Nimrod Chapel claims Missouri government discriminates against people of color, women, the disabled, senior citizens, foreigners, and people of faith.  Chapel also contends that people should be aware of the danger presented by the way laws are enforced in the state.

The travel advisory has been criticized by some Republican state lawmakers and was originally opposed by the St. Louis branch of the NAACP.  Days after saying the advisory would hurt people of color who work in the hospitality industry, Esther Haywood, president of the NAACP St. Louis County chapter issued a statement “wholeheartedly” supporting it.

Among the other destinations Fodor’s advises against visiting are Honduras, because of its high rate of murder and danger to members of the LGBTQ community, and Beijing, China, due to the city’s overwhelming smog.

The publication did praise Missouri for having breathtaking limestone caverns, the Budweiser Clydesdales, Kansas City-style BBQ, great jazz, the Silver Dollar City Amusement Park, and even a museum that purports to house the holy finger of John the Baptist.