US eases Jamaica travel advisory to Level 2 due to decline in crime

The United States has revised its travel advisory for Jamaica to Level 2, urging Americans to "exercise increased caution" rather than reconsider travel.

It was an anticipated relief for the Government and tourism interests two months after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there would be a review in light of declining murders.

The decision was announced on Thursday by the US State Department.

It stated that the change followed a periodic review.

"While violent crime in Jamaica has decreased since 2024, it remains statistically high throughout the country," the update said.

"Tourist areas generally see lower rates of violent crime than other parts of the country. The homicide rate reported by the Government of Jamaica is among the highest in the Western Hemisphere. Armed robberies and sexual assaults are common. US embassy employees are prohibited from using public buses and from driving between cities at night," it continued.

The advisory retained some areas in Jamaica where it said US government employees working in Jamaica "are prohibited from travelling to certain areas".

Some of the places are in Kingston and St Andrew, Clarendon, St James, St Catherine, St Ann, among other parishes.

The US is Jamaica's primary source market for tourists.

During a visit to Kingston in late March, Rubio lauded Jamaica for making "impressive" strides in its crime-reduction efforts and promised to re-evaluate the travel advisory to reflect the current reality regarding crime.

"We did talk about tourism because obviously, it's a significant part of your economy, and we pledged that when we go back and re-evaluate the travel advisories as they currently stand to ensure that they do reflect the reality of the new numbers and what the numbers show," Rubio said following talks with Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness.

He added: "I think we need to analyse that and just ensure that the status we're currently in accurately reflects the status quo and takes into account the progress you've already made this year and made last year, year over year, which I think is one of the highest numbers in terms of reductions that we've seen of any country in the region."

Jamaica recorded a 19 per cent reduction in murders last year compared to the previous year, ending 2023 with 1,139 murders.

That positive trend has continued, with a 42 per cent decline in murders reported up to May 17 this year, compared to the similar period in 2023.

Holness had noted that he and Rubio discussed the issue of the travel advisory and highlighted the country's progress in reducing all major crimes. "... Jamaica today is safer than at any time in the last two decades," he said, adding, "in fact, crimes against visitors represent less than 0.01 per cent of the more than three million visitors to Jamaica annually," he said. Tourism players welcomed Rubio's announcement.

"The travel advisory has been like an albatross around the neck of the tourism sector, affecting us in every possible way," said John Byles, chairman of the Destination Assurance Council, Montego Bay Chapter, in a JIS publication.

The State Department issued the Level 3 threat in January 2024.

It revised the language of the warning in July but maintained its concerns about crime and the medical infrastructure.

Level 4 tells Americans not to travel to an area.

We want to hear from you! Email us at star@gleanerjm.com and follow @thejamaicastar on Instagram and on X @JamaicaStar and on Facebook: @TheJamaicaStar