Don’t leave the resort after dark. Keep flashy clothing and jewelry to a minimum. Stay aware of your surroundings. These are some of the travel rules that Ginger Moore, a retired logistics analyst from Panama City, Florida, abides by on her solo travels through the Caribbean.
Ms Moore, 75, has always felt safe during her stays in Jamaica, where she will return for the fourth time on Wednesday. But this year, while she is still happy to go on a trip, a travel warning for Jamaica, republished in January by the US State Department, expressed concerns.
“I’m sure there are parts, just like the United States, that you can go into that are not recommended,” Ms. Moore said. However, she has taken new precautions for her upcoming trip, such as bringing additional sanitary supplies and purchasing a safety bar for her hotel room’s sliding balcony door.
In recent weeks, the State Department and U.S. embassies have issued new and updated advisories urging travelers to Mexico, Jamaica and the Bahamas – some of the busiest international spring break destinations – to take extra caution following recent violent events, some in tourist areas. Security experts suggest the advice is largely consistent with advice from previous years.
Caroline Hammer, global security analyst at the risk intelligence firm FROGSsaid tourists should interpret the advisories as warnings to exercise caution and avoid specific crime hotspots, but not as a general rule to limit their travel to any part of the region.
What do the travel advisories say?
Spring break travel advisories in some parts of Mexico have arrived in recent days, while security advisories and travel advisories updated for Jamaica and the Bahamas they were released in late January.
The State Department has classified Jamaica at Level 3 from 2022, advising visitors “reconsider the trip” due to incidents of violent crime. The agency reissued the travel advisory in January to also alert tourists about accessing medical services and warned that “sexual assaults occur frequently, including at all-inclusive resorts.”
Kamina Johnson Smith, Jamaica’s minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade, said at a news conference declaration posted two days later that the country has made “serious improvements” in its response to crime and its health infrastructure and disagrees with the scope of the advisory.
“The Government of Jamaica is disappointed that the language used does not reflect the significant progress of our country,” he said.
Data from the Jamaica National Police Force shows that as of March 1, several crime categories, including murders, break-ins and rapes, had decreased compared to the same period in 2023, although shootings and assaults had increased.
In the Bahamas, gang violence and a spate of killings have prompted U.S. officials to urge tourists to “exercise greater caution”, especially in the cities of Nassau and Freeport. Recreational boat tours, jet ski rentals and other water activities are unevenly regulated, the advisory also notes, and have caused injuries and deaths.
In early February, two female travelers claimed their drinks had been spiked during a cruise stop in the Bahamas and accused resort staff of sexually assault them.
Last week, in the declaration Speaking specifically about spring break travel, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico reiterated precautions outlined in a State Department travel advisory, last updated over the summer, issued due to crimes and kidnappings . He reminded tourists to be cautious when visiting the downtown areas of Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum, all in the state of Quintana Roo.
The advisory also recommends traveling on toll roads during daylight hours and staying near major cities, which have a greater presence of police and other emergency services.
What’s behind the warning in Mexico?
Organized crime groups in Mexico have largely kept violent activity outside of resorts to avoid harming the tourism industry, said Ms. Hammer, of RANE. The cartels, she said, depend on the tourists themselves, selling drugs to visitors and extorting local businesses, and that would generate an intensified response from the Mexican government.
In 2023, tourists spent nearly $3.1 billion in Mexico, up 10% from 2022, according to tourism ministry data, with many travelers heading to Cancun.
A handful of incidents of violence last year included the kidnapping of two Americans who crossed the border near Brownsville, Texas, and were found dead, as well as heated disputes between rival taxi drivers and Uber drivers in Cancun. The violence came following a series of gun battles and murders between late 2021 and early 2022 that rattled tourists along the Riviera Maya.
“The good news is that reported incidents within resorts are extremely, extremely rare,” Ms. Hammer said.
In its latest advisory, the State Department warns that shootings by rival gangs, “while not directed at tourists,” have caught some in the crossfire, including at resorts. Last month, an American woman was killed during a drug-related shooting at a beach club in Tulum. Quintana Roo prosecutors said she was a bystander.
Despite these incidents, the security picture in Mexico has remained generally unchanged, said Zachary Rabinor, founder and president of Trip to Mexicoa luxury travel company.
“These are largely general, stereotypical fears,” he said, adding that tourists should not interpret incidents of violence as far-reaching events, especially in tourist destinations that are popular among visitors.
“There are definitely still problem areas, but in general they are not where tourists go,” Rabinor said.
What’s behind the warning for the Bahamas?
In January, Bahamian President Philip Davis shared his government’s plan to crack down on criminal activity after a wave of killings, mostly gang-related.
“If you choose crime, you will face the full weight and might of the law,” Davis said during a national address on January 11, 2019. 24. The cautionary tone was a sharp turn from a celebratory moment just a month earlier, when the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism announced the country had reached a record eight million travelers in 2023.
While police are grappling with crime outside the resorts, the Bahamas Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement declaration published shortly after the U.S. Embassy alert that the country does not believe tourists face any new “elevated or increasing security risks.”
What can you do to stay safe?
Effective safety measures can be as simple as staying vigilant and planning ahead by purchasing travel insurance and updating emergency contact lists. Other general measures recommended in the advisories include avoiding walking or driving outside tourist areas at night, avoiding public transport and respecting local laws.
High volumes of spring break travelers could make tourism police forces, in places where they have a presence, slower to respond to emergency calls, warned Ms. Hammer of RANE Network.
Arranging transportation through a travel company or resort for excursions or trips to the airport is highly recommended, said Scott Stewart, vice president for intelligence at security firm TorchStone Global.
“A lot of times, in a lot of countries there isn’t a big gap between criminals and taxi drivers, so having a reliable transport provider is huge,” Mr Stewart said.
He also recommends “traveling grey,” a term used in security circles to keep a low profile, for example by not displaying luxury items that might attract the attention of criminals.
The State Department’s new warning raised concerns for Ms. Moore, the traveler headed to Jamaica, but did not take her off the trip.
“In the tourist areas I feel very comfortable,” he said. “I’ve never had a bad experience, knock on wood and I love Jamaica. That’s why I keep coming back.”
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