What’s to worry about in Jamaica?
Considering the violence, potential visitors wonder whether or not to skip Jamaica. The answer: maybe or it all depends on where you’re going.
"When I talk to a new client, I’ll say to them, ‘What do you like, what don’t you like, and before we start working on this process, are there any places you won’t consider?’ Ninety-eight percent of them say to me Jamaica,” said agent Terry McCabe, National director of leisure for Altour.
Crime, including violent crime, is a serious problem in Jamaica, according to the US State Department. The primary concern for tourists: theft. The site adds that in several cases, armed robberies of Americans have turned violent.
Still, 1.8 million tourists came to Jamaica last year — about two-thirds of them from the United States, according to the Caribbean Tourism Organization.
Since the unrest began in Kingston, travel agents like Becky Veith with Travel Experts in Erie, Pennsylvania, have been getting lots of questions from worried clients who are scheduled to vacation on the island in the upcoming days and weeks.
"I have clients who are going to Jamaica in June, and they e-mailed me and said, ‘What should we do, should we cancel our trip because of the civil unrest in Kingston?’ " Veith said. She added:
"I e-mailed them back and said no. … I wouldn’t be afraid to go to Montego Bay. I wouldn’t go to Kingston, though, but I wouldn’t go to Kingston at any time." Aggressive street vendors at times discourage visitors to Kingston.
Travel agents emphasized that the capital is several hours away by car from the resort areas and that few travelers ever make the city a destination.
"It’s virtually nonexistent on the tourist level," McCabe said. Most people who fly into Kingston visit friends and relatives or are there for business, she added.
The city has a history of some unrest, added Brooke Ferencsik, a spokesman for TripAdvisor.com.
Travel experts urged travelers to Jamaica to follow the situation closely, but not to let the turmoil in Kingston automatically taint the rest of the island.
They compared the situation to recent violence in Mexico, which has been centered near the country’s border with the United States but has affected tourism in Cancun and other popular spots far away from the unrest.
By David Wilkening
David
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season