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U.S. State Department Issues Warning Against Traveling to These Popular Caribbean and South American Countries

The U.S. Department of State is warning Americans to reconsider traveling to Jamaica and Colombia.

The U.S. Department of State is warning Americans to reconsider traveling to a pair of popular Caribbean and South American countries amid a recent uptick in crime.

The State Department last week re-classified both Colombia and Jamaica as “Level 3,” urging Americans to “reconsider travel” to the countries. The State Department regularly assesses the security and health situations in each country and adjusts the classification accordingly on a scale of one (which indicates travelers should exercise normal precautions) to four (which warns Americans not to travel there).

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In Jamaica, the department warned “violent crimes, such as home invasions, armed robberies, sexual assaults, and homicides, are common” and said “sexual assaults occur frequently, including at all-inclusive resorts .” The Department added “local police often do not respond effectively to serious criminal incidents.”

A do not travel advisory was issued for several areas on the island, including downtown Kingston.

In Colombia , the State Department warned travelers should reconsider their trip “due to crime and terrorism” and should “exercise increased caution due to civil unrest and kidnapping.” Additionally, the department warned terrorist organizations may carry out attacks on transportation hubs, shopping malls, hotels, restaurants, airports, or other public areas.

The department said travelers especially should not visit the Arauca, Cauca (excluding Popayán), and Norte de Santander departments, and should not go to the Colombia-Venezuela border region “due to crime, kidnapping, and risk of detention when crossing into Venezuela from Colombia.”

“Violent crime, such as homicide, assault, and armed robbery, is widespread,” the State Department wrote in its updated advisory. “Organized criminal activities, such as extortion, robbery, and kidnapping, are common in some areas.”

If travelers do go to Colombia , the Department said they should avoid protests and large crowds and keep a low profile.

Travelers who do visit these countries can enroll in the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive alerts “and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.”

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Dominican Republic Travel Advisory

Travel advisory june 6, 2023, dominican republic - level 2: exercise increased caution.

Reissued with updates to health information.

Exercise increased caution in the Dominican Republic due to crime.

Country Summary:  Violent crime, including armed robbery, homicide and sexual assault is a concern throughout the Dominican Republic. The development of a professional tourist police corps, institution of a 911 system in many parts of the country, and a concentration of resources in resort areas means these tend to be better policed than urban areas like Santo Domingo. The wide availability of weapons, the use and trade of illicit drugs, and a weak criminal justice system contribute to the high level of criminality on the broader scale.

Read the country information page for additional information on travel to the Dominican Republic.

If you decide to travel to the Dominican Republic:

• Be aware of your surroundings.
• Do not physically resist any robbery attempt.
• Do not display signs of wealth, such as wearing expensive watches or jewelry.
• Follow the advice of resort and tour operators regarding local safety and security concerns.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter .
• Review the Country Security Report for the Dominican Republic.
• Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations.  Review the Traveler’s Checklist .
• Visit the CDC page for the latest Travel Health Information related to your travel.

Travel Advisory Levels

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Most of the Caribbean is under a ‘Level 4’ travel warning. Islands still want visitors.

The cdc has given more than 20 destinations its do not travel warning.

As winter approaches and travelers start dreaming of warm weather, the Caribbean beckons. But 19 months into the pandemic, much of the region is struggling with the delta variant surge and insufficient access to coronavirus vaccines.

Late last month, the Pan American Health Organization warned that health systems in some Eastern Caribbean islands were becoming overwhelmed with the increase of cases and shortages of workers and supplies.

The majority of destinations in the Caribbean — as well as Bermuda and the Bahamas — are characterized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as “Level 4” because of very high rates of covid-19, which means the public health agency recommends avoiding travel.

Those countries and territories include such popular spots as Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Aruba, the U.S. Virgin Islands and, as of Monday, Barbados. In all, more than 20 destinations are listed as Level 4.

Another handful — including Anguilla, Bonaire, Turks and Caicos, and Trinidad and Tobago — are Level 3, which means rates of the coronavirus are high and only vaccinated people should visit. Just a few are at the two lowest levels, including the Dominican Republic and Cayman Islands.

The CDC's do not travel list, explained

“The road to recovery in the region is not smooth,” Neil Walters, acting secretary general of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, said in an emailed statement. “The changes in the health situation and the ever-shifting travel arena could create much turmoil.”

The tourism group said that in the first half of the year, international tourist arrivals to the Caribbean reached 6.6 million — down 12 percent from the first half of 2020, and more than 62 percent from 2019. But some destinations have seen growth.

In the Bahamas, for example, visitation through August increased nearly 50 percent from last year to more than 612,000 as airlines increased service.

I. Chester Cooper, the Bahamas’ deputy prime minister and the minister of tourism, investments and aviation, said in an emailed statement that the country is optimistic that a “robust holiday season” is possible.

“Throughout this pandemic we have had to pivot and evolve to strike the delicate balance between protecting the health and safety of our citizens and visitors and creating opportunities that enable our vital tourism economy to begin recovering,” he said.

That is the balance the entire region has been trying to find as destinations have reopened with a variety of entry procedures.

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“In the Caribbean, tourism is our bread and butter, so we really needed to ensure that we are able to keep our borders open,” said Vanessa Ledesma, acting CEO and director general of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association. “Everything we can do to mitigate the impact, we will continue to do so.”

In some countries, that means vaccine requirements, quarantines, mandatory testing, travel insurance coverage — or some combination of those rules. The hotel and tourism association maintains a grid online with various protocols to try to help potential visitors keep track.

“We know it’s been challenging and we have lobbied for harmonization across the region as much as possible,” Ledesma said. “Every destination has different limitations or requirements.”

That can be confusing for travelers who are trying to choose from a region with more than two dozen destinations — and just as many different mandates for entry. That lack of consistency has “added complexity and concern” for clients, said travel adviser Mike Salvadore, of 58 Stars Travel .

“And many clients are concerned that policies will change quickly, and they may be stuck or lose their investment,” he said in an email.

One thing that isn’t really discouraging visitors, Salvadore said: travel advisories . While there was a dip of interest in the summer after Europe’s reopening and during hurricane season, he said interest in the region moving into the fall and holiday period is “robust.”

“Caribbean travel was the first to see a resurgence in early 2021, and while most destinations continue to maintain a level 4 status with the CDC, it hasn’t kept travelers away,” Salvadore wrote.

This historic San Juan walking tour is an architecture lover’s dream

Within the Caribbean, the foreign travel advisories are viewed with some frustration. Ledesma wrote in September that the industry has gone to great lengths to protect visitors and those who work in the tourism industry.

Clive Landis, who chairs the covid-19 task force at the University of the West Indies in Barbados, said the recent change from Level 3 to 4 in Barbados doesn’t change anything about entry or exit protocols.

“We wonder what the value of it is,” he said.

Landis said the region has been skeptical of the travel warnings, especially when they are applied to countries that have overall low case rates such as Anguilla. More important, he said, is helping those destinations get all the vaccine doses they need.

“I think here in the Caribbean, our record — even now with the surge of the delta variant — is still, in terms of cases per capita ... well below the U.S.,” Landis said. “It’s not as if they’re stepping into some kind of a hot spot that they’re not used to in their own country.”

More travel news

How we travel now: More people are taking booze-free trips — and airlines and hotels are taking note. Some couples are ditching the traditional honeymoon for a “buddymoon” with their pals. Interested? Here are the best tools for making a group trip work.

Bad behavior: Entitled tourists are running amok, defacing the Colosseum , getting rowdy in Bali and messing with wild animals in national parks. Some destinations are fighting back with public awareness campaigns — or just by telling out-of-control visitors to stay away .

Safety concerns: A door blew off an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 jet, leaving passengers traumatized — but without serious injuries. The ordeal led to widespread flight cancellations after the jet was grounded, and some travelers have taken steps to avoid the plane in the future. The incident has also sparked a fresh discussion about whether it’s safe to fly with a baby on your lap .

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