Please do not wander outside the resort after dark. Keep flashy clothing and jewelry to a minimum. Please be aware of your surroundings. These are some of the travel rules that Ginger Moore, a former logistics analyst in Panama City, Florida, follows when traveling solo throughout the Caribbean.
Moore, 75, has always felt safe during his time in Jamaica and will be returning home for the fourth time on Wednesday. But while she’s still happy about her trip this year, her concerns are heightened by the U.S. State Department’s re-issued travel advisory for Jamaica in January.
“I think there are definitely areas that people are not encouraged to go into, just like in the United States,” Moore said. Nevertheless, she took new precautions for her upcoming trip, including packing additional health supplies and purchasing a security bar for the sliding door on her hotel room’s balcony. .
In recent weeks, the State Department and the U.S. Embassy have issued special warnings for travelers to Mexico, Jamaica, and the Bahamas, some of the busiest international spring break destinations, following recent incidents of violence in some tourist destinations. announced new and updated recommendations to pay. Security experts suggest this advice is broadly consistent with recommendations from past years.
Carolyn Hammer, global security analyst at risk intelligence firm RANE, said tourists should interpret this advisory as a warning to heed and avoid certain crime-prone areas and avoid traveling anywhere within the region. should not be interpreted as a blanket rule restricting the
What does a travel warning say?
Warnings regarding spring break travel to certain areas of Mexico were issued in recent days, and alerts and updated travel advisories were issued for Jamaica and the Bahamas in late January.
Starting in 2022, the State Department has placed Jamaica in Level 3, advising visitors to “reconsider travel” due to violent crime. The agency reissued a travel advisory in January, also warning travelers about access to medical services and warning that “sexual assaults are occurring frequently, including at all-inclusive resorts.”
Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kamina Johnson-Smith, said in a statement two days later that the country had made “significant improvements” in its response to crime and health infrastructure, and that the recommendations were in line with the recommendations. He said he disagreed with the scope.
“The Government of Jamaica is disappointed that the language used does not reflect the significant progress made by our country,” she said.
As of March 1, data from the Jamaica National Police shows that while shootings and assaults are up, some crime categories, such as murder, break-ins and rape, are down compared to the same period in 2023.
In the Bahamas, U.S. authorities have urged tourists to “exercise increased vigilance”, especially in the cities of Nassau and Freeport, following gang violence and a number of murders. Recreational boat tours, jet ski rentals and other water activities are unevenly regulated, resulting in injuries and fatalities, the advisory added.
In early February, two female travelers claimed their drinks were adulterated and accused resort staff of sexual assault during a cruise stop in the Bahamas.
Last week, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico specifically addressed spring break travel, citing the precautions outlined in the State Department’s travel advisory (last updated in the summer) due to crime and kidnapping. He reiterated the measures. It urged tourists to be careful when visiting the downtown areas of Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum in Quintana Roo.
The advisory also recommends using toll roads during the day and staying near major cities where police and other emergency services are reinforced.
What’s behind the warning in Mexico?
RANE’s Hamer said organized crime groups in Mexico continue to operate primarily outside resorts to avoid damaging the tourism industry. He said the cartels rely on tourists themselves by selling drugs to them and extorting local businesses, which would increase opposition from the Mexican government.
According to data from the Ministry of Tourism, tourists spent nearly $3.1 billion in Mexico in 2023, a 10% increase from 2022, with many going to Cancun.
Several violent incidents last year included the abduction of two Americans who were found dead after crossing the border near Brownsville, Texas, and a violent altercation between a rival taxi and an Uber driver in Cancun. was included. The violence comes on the heels of a number of gunfights and assassinations that shocked tourists along the Riviera Maya in late 2021 and early 2022.
“The good news is that these incidents reported within resorts are extremely rare,” Hammer said.
In its latest advisory, the State Department warned that while the shootings by rival gangs “have not been directed at tourists, some resorts have been caught in the crossfire.” Last month, an American woman was killed in a drug-related shooting at a beach club in Tulum. Quintana Roo prosecutors said she was a bystander.
Zachary Rabiner, founder and president of luxury travel company Journey Mexico, said that despite the incidents, the security situation in Mexico has generally remained unchanged.
“A lot of it is common fear,” he said, adding that tourists should not interpret violent incidents as major events, especially in resort areas that are most popular with tourists.
“Certainly there are areas that still have problems, but generally they are not where tourists go,” Rabinor said.
What’s behind the warning for the Bahamas?
In January, Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis shared his government’s plans to curb criminal activity following a spate of mostly gang-related murders.
“If you choose crime, you will face the full weight and power of the law,” Davis said in a national address on January 24. The tone of the admonition was a complete change from the celebratory mood of just a month ago. The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism has announced that the number of tourists to the Bahamas reached a record of 8 million in 2023.
While police tackle crime outside the resort, the Bahamas Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement shortly after the US embassy’s warning that tourists were exposed to new “increased or heightened security risks.” He said he did not think that it had been done.
What can you do to stay safe?
Effective safety measures are as simple as staying vigilant, purchasing travel insurance, and planning ahead, such as updating your emergency contact list. Other general measures recommended in the advisory include not walking or driving out of resort areas at night, avoiding public transportation, and obeying local laws.
Hammer, of the RANE network, warned that a high concentration of tourists around spring break could slow response times to emergency calls in places where tourism police are present.
Scott Stewart, vice president of intelligence at security firm Torchstone Global, said he strongly recommends arranging transportation through a travel agent or resort for excursions or trips to the airport.
“Having reliable transport is very important because in many countries there is often not a huge gap between criminals and taxi drivers,” Stewart said.
He also recommends “traveling gray,” a term used in the security industry to maintain a low profile, such as not displaying luxury items that might attract the attention of criminals.
The State Department’s renewed warning raised concerns for Moore, a Jamaican-bound traveler, but that didn’t deter her from traveling.
“I feel very comfortable in tourist areas,” she said. “I’ve never had a bad experience. I love Jamaica. That’s why I keep coming back.”
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