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The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) insists that British tourists ‘can continue to come with confidence’ despite the US warning visitors to reconsider travel to the country.
Last month, the US reissued its travel advice for Jamaica with additional warnings about medical services and crime.
It said that Violent crimes, such as home invasions, armed robberies, sexual assaults, and homicides, are common. Sexual assaults happen often, including at all-inclusive resorts.
The US Department of State said that Local police often do not respond effectively to serious criminal incidents. When arrests are made, cases are rarely prosecuted to a conclusive sentence.
Emergency services and hospital care differ throughout the island, and response times and quality of care may differ from U.S. standards.
Public hospitals are under-resourced and always will not be able to offer high-level or specialized care. Private hospitals need payment upfront before admitting patients and may not be able to provide specialized care.
Ambulance services are not always readily available, mostly in rural areas, and are not always staffed by trained personnel. It said US citizens should reconsider travel.
However, In London, the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) said it was important to note that the US travel advisory level of Jamaica has not changed, it has remained at three – one below a ‘do not travel warning’, since 2022.
The JTB added that there are very distinctly defined areas within Jamaica that the advisory cites as having a high risk for crime, so the majority of the island’s tourism product remains unaffected.
Overall, the crime rate against visitors to Jamaica remains low at 0.01%. It also said that the island constantly ranks among the top destinations for international travel.
In 2023 more than four million people visited Jamaica. Visitors can continue to come with confidence to enjoy all that Jamaica has to offer, said the JTB.
The UK Foreign Office (FCDO) is not advising against travel to Jamaica, but it warned that crime rates are high in and around Kingston and the tourist mecca of Montego Bay.
The FCDO said the main motive for most attacks on tourists is robbery but added that most resorts and hotels are well-guarded. However, it said that there have been incidents where tourists and visitors have been targets for rape and sexual assault. Take care when using dating apps in Jamaica, especially those used by the LGBT+ community.
Criminals have used apps to trap victims to meet in a public place but later rob and assault them.
The US has also issued warnings for citizens visiting the Bahamas. The US Embassy in Nassau said 18 murders have happened on the island since the beginning of 2024.
Murders have taken place at all hours including in broad daylight on the streets and retaliatory gang violence has been the main motive in 2024 murders. However, Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis told a US publication that the incidents described in the January 2024 US Embassy crime alert do not reflect general safety in The Bahamas, a country of sixteen tourism destinations, and many more islands.
