Jamaica

Caribbean: Hurricane Dean Misses Major Tourist Sites

Date: August 22nd, 2007 |

Category 5 Hurricane Dean churned through the Caribbean and Mexico Aug. 19-22 causing extensive property damage but generally sparing tourism facilities. Jamaica took a glancing blow, with the north coast resorts suffering little damage and airports fully functioning again. The Cayman Islands largely escaped with just wind damage. In Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, Dean hit land [read more]

Caribbean: Cricket World Cup

Date: February 14th, 2007 |

1 comment

The Cricket World Cup will be played March 5-April 28 on various Caribbean islands. Large numbers of fans from participating countries are likely to attend, putting a strain on basic services from hotel accommodations to transportation to medical assistance. Matches are scheduled in Antigua, Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, [read more]

Jamaica: Tourism Boost Expected Despite High Crime

Date: December 26th, 2006 |

No Comments

Despite a soaring crime rate and a high-profile tourist murder in August in Montego Bay, Jamaica expects an increase in visitors this winter. Most tourists stay in the north coast resorts of Montego Bay, Negril, and Ocho Rios, where there are relatively few murders compared to the Kingston area and the rest of the island. [read more]

Jamaica: Australian Tourist Murdered in Montego Bay

Date: August 15th, 2006 |

No Comments

An Australian who had been working in Washington, DC was murdered in his hotel room while on vacation in Montego Bay. Police are investigating but the motive appeared to be robbery. He had been stabbed several times and the room was ransacked. A prostitute has been arrested but not yet charged. Police believe she had [read more]

Jamaica

Date: November 20th, 2001 |

No Comments

Three days of gang killings in Kingston prompted soldiers to sweep into the area to contain the violence Nov. 18. A 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. curfew was imposed in the communities of Matthew’s Lane and Tel Aviv, and traffic and public transit were diverted from the areas. Such violence is common in the capital, [read more]

Caribbean: Risks at Cricket World Cup Venues

Date: February 28th, 2007 |

No Comments

There are no credible threats to the Cricket World Cup that begins March 5, but other risks in host countries can be generally classified. Islands with low to moderate crime threats are Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and St. Lucia. Countries with high crime threats include [read more]

Dominican Republic and Jamaica: Malaria Updates

Date: February 1st, 2007 |

2 comments

Canadian health officials are urging Canadians traveling to the Dominican Republic to take precautions against malaria following three recent cases of the disease in returning travelers. The cases occurred in visitors to resorts in the province of La Altagracia. The best protection is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes, but Canada’s public health agency recommends [read more]

Jamaica: First Malaria Cases in 50 Years

Date: December 13th, 2006 |

No Comments

The first outbreak of malaria since the 1950s has occurred in and around Kingston, with 13 cases confirmed. Authorities are testing residents within a one-kilometer radius of all cases and taking action to eradicate mosquitoes in the affected area, including cleaning up places where mosquitoes breed. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends [read more]

Jamaica: Violent Crime Usually Misses Tourists

Date: April 11th, 2006 |

2 comments

Most visitors to this Caribbean island do not encounter violent crime, and the tourist and resort areas, especially on the north coast, are relatively crime free. Petty theft and pickpocketing, however, are common at major tourist sites. Jamaica has the highest per capita murder rate in the world, with the bulk of the crime occurring [read more]

Jamaica

Date: November 7th, 2001 |

No Comments

Jamaican police have gone overboard in their effort to protect tourists from aggressive hawkers in Montego Bay. Recently police rounded up homeless people under the pretense of offering them medication and drove them fifty miles away, abandoning them in a remote area. There is little dispute about the problem of overzealous hawkers in the tourist [read more]