by Thanee
Basically, everything in the staging area are threats to your quest, which you have to deal with.Enemies are pretty obvious obstacles. Locations are a bit trickier.
Maybe it is not the location itself, that poses the threat, but something at that location.
Whatever it is (it is a little abstract, much like the questing itself), you need to deal with it, or it will make your quest so much harder, if the danger is left unchecked. So, unless you travel to that location and deal with the threat (put enough progress tokens on it), or send someone else (the Northern Tracker comes to mind), your general progress is hindered and Sauron's influence is strengthened.
Bye
Thanee