Bahamas, Jamaica slam ‘high risk’ travel advisories for tourists
The Bahamian and Jamaican tourism boards are insisting the countries are still safe to tourists after the United States issued travel warnings about the Caribbean countries.
The U.S. embassy in the Bahamas has released a security warning and travel advisory that the island nation is currently unsafe for tourists amidst 18 murders — “primarily” motivated by gang violence — in January alone.
The American embassy in Jamaica also issued a Level 3 travel advisory for tourists to “reconsider travel,” which is just one level short of the most severe warning to Americans against travel altogether.
However, the governments of both islands have spoken out to encourage tourists to continue booking travel.
The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (BMT) board said that the warnings and advisories “do not reflect general safety in the Bahamas, a country of 16 tourism destinations, and many more islands,” according to Travel Weekly.
Last year, the Caribbean country welcomed more than 9 million visitors, which they described as “a significant milestone for our nation.”
However, safety concerns have reached a point of severity.
“Murders have occurred at all hours including in broad daylight on the streets,” the embassy wrote in a release, recommending the use of “extreme caution” on the eastern side of the Bahamas’ capital city of Nassau.
Travel advisories issued for the Bahamas, Jamaica
- The US Embassy issued a stark security warning and travel advisory on Jan. 24 after the Bahamas saw 18 primarily gang-related murders in January.
- The US Embassy warning urged travelers to “exercise extreme caution” on the eastern side of the Bahamas’ capital city, Nassau.
- Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis said in a statement the government is “alert, attentive, and proactive” in keeping the island nation “welcoming” to travelers.
- The State Department issued a stark travel warning for Jamaica after it was rocked by 65 murders last month. The US Embassy in Jamaica upgraded the travel advisory to a Level 3, “Reconsider travel,” which is just one level short of the most severe, which warns Americans against travel altogether.
- The Bahamian and Jamaican tourism boards are insisting the countries are still safe for tourists despite the United States’ warnings.
In turn, the popular American tourist attraction is working to enforce new safety measures.
“The government of the Bahamas is implementing a robust and innovative crime reduction and prevention strategy. This comprehensive approach is informed by the latest research and successful international models, focusing on five key pillars: prevention, detection, prosecution, punishment, and rehabilitation,” the BMT noted.
Meanwhile, the government in Jamaica is also attempting to mitigate concerns.
The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) noted that the crime rate involving visitors to the island “remains extremely low at 0.01%” but that the recent update “reaffirmed” the country’s Level 3 designation, which was set in 2022, according to Travel Weekly.
The board noted that there are “very distinctly defined areas within Jamaica that the advisory cites as having high risk for crime, so the majority of the island’s tourism product remains unaffected.”
Last year, Jamaica hosted 4.1 million visitors — including 2.1 million from the U.S. alone.
“Visitors can continue to come with confidence to enjoy all that Jamaica has to offer,” the JTB said.
However, the State Department has warned that Jamaica has reported one of the highest homicide rates in the Western Hemisphere for several years.
At least 65 people were killed between Jan. 1 and 27 of this year, data from the Jamaica Constabulary Force show. Shockingly, the high murder rate is down from last year — 81 people were killed in the first month of 2023.
The Bahamas and Jamaica are just two of about 200 destinations about which the State Department has issued warnings.
Level 4 cautions were issued for Burma and Afghanistan in recent months.
