U.S. Secretary of State Promises to Reevaluate Jamaica Travel Warning
by Daniel McCarthy
New Kingston, Jamaica. Photo: Shutterstock.com
During a diplomatic visit to Kingston on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Jamaican government officials that the U.S. will reevaluate its travel advisory for Jamaica.
The U.S. State Department has warned against travel to Jamaica since July 2024 because of crime and health care concerns, writing in its Level 3: Reconsider Travel advisory:
“Violent crime occurs throughout Jamaica. 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.”
According to The Associated Press, Rubio promised the Jamaican delegation on Wednesday that his team would “go back and reevaluate the travel advisories as they currently stand to ensure that they do reflect the reality of the new numbers and what the numbers show.”
He also said that Jamaica has “made very impressive progress” in lowering its crime rates.
Rubio, who did not commit to lowering Jamaica’s Level 3 advisory, acknowledged that a “Reconsider Travel” warning from the U.S. hurts Jamaica’s tourism industry.
Jamaica generated $4.3 billion from tourism in 2024 and expects that number to grow to $5 billion in 2025, according to the Jamaica Tourist Board. That comes as U.S. visitor numbers to Jamaica declined year-over-year in 2024, dropping below the high of 2 million in 2023.
Jamaica is not the only country categorized as Level 3: Reconsider Travel under the U.S. State Department. Others currently include Colombia and Egypt.
