Those travel advisories

THERE IS a growing level of anguish in Jamaica about the United States Department of State’s February level-3 travel advisory which urges Americans to reconsider travel to the island.

An estimated 2.1 million Americans visited Jamaica in 2023, which included scores of spring breakers who are now packing their bags to take off for stunning beaches and culinary delights in resorts such as Negril, which is regularly featured as a top destination.

Judging from the reaction of industry officials, there is a sense that, with the advisory coming at a time when murders have gone down by 20 per cent over last year, the elevated level 3 is not the objective and unbiased assessment expected of the US Embassy. Added to that, crime against visitors remains very low, according to official statistics. Of course, advisories are not viewed by Americans only, potential visitors from all over the world are likely to be influenced by such information.

Contrast the level-3 advisory for Jamaica with the State Department’s treatment of Mexico, which is categorised as “other” and is not assigned any level, as is the case with countries in the region such as The Bahamas, at level 2, and Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana at level 3.

Regarding the State Department warning about Mexico, it said one of its primary concerns is crime, citing: “homicide, kidnapping, carjacking and robbery as widespread and common in Mexico”.

For Jamaica, the State Department warned: “violent crimes, such as home invasions, armed robberies, sexual assaults and homicides are common. Sexual assaults occur frequently, including at all-inclusive resorts”.

These descriptions could aptly describe many big cities in America, where visitors would be well advised to exercise situational awareness. A simple Internet search of the most dangerous cities in America will list Atlanta, Georgia and Chicago, Illinois. Despite random shootings at schools, malls, nightclubs and churches, people continue to travel to these cities, and the average Jamaican would not hesitate to visit, say Atlanta.

EXAGGERATION

Reference to “frequent” occurrence of assaults at all-inclusive properties may be an exaggeration in the absence of supporting evidence, but this should not be ignored by the industry. This suggests that there is work to be done by hoteliers. There needs to be constant monitoring and vigilance to repair that perception, for if visitors do not feel safe in all-inclusive hotels, then they may decide not to come to Jamaica at all.

Having clawed our way back to pre-COVID-19 levels of performance, the economic implications for an industry that employs thousands of Jamaicans to be faced by widespread cancellations would do untold damage to brand Jamaica.

The police, too, have been criticised in the advisory for not readily responding to reported incidents. This, too, ought to be taken seriously, and the leadership of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) needs to demonstrate that it has the capability to be more responsive and thorough in investigating crime, whether or not visitors are involved.

Reference was also made to inadequate medical facilities. Jamaicans themselves complain about this and, if the Ministry of Health were able to improve facilities for the population, then visitors would feel confident that, if they fall ill, they would get the requisite treatment.

Getting Jamaica removed from this level 3 should be the main priority of the Ministry of Tourism and all the agencies and departments of government associated with the industry.

We appreciate that the State Department’s top priority is the safety and security of American citizens and interests abroad. But to say in reference to Jamaica: “Government personnel are banned from taking the bus completely and cannot drive at night in certain parts of the city”, is gambling with the truth.

One social media commentator summed up the advisory in this way: “If you follow what the US government says about travelling to other countries, you’d never be able to leave the US.”