State Department has warnings in place for spring break hot spots

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 exercise extra caution after recent violent events, some in tourist areas. Security experts suggest the advice is largely consistent with advisories of previous years.

Caroline Hammer, a global security analyst at the risk intelligence company RANE, said tourists should interpret the advisories as warnings to exercise caution and avoid specific hot spots for crime, but not as a blanket rule to restrict their travel anywhere in the region.

The State Department has classified Jamaica at Level 3 since 2022, recommending visitors “reconsider travel” because of episodes of violent crime. The agency reissued the travel advisory in January to also alert tourists about access to medical services, and warned that “sexual assaults occur frequently, including at all-inclusive resorts.”