WASHINGTON — If you or someone you know is planning a trip to the Bahamas, there’s important information from the U.S. government. Citing increased crime, the State Department issued a Level 2 travel advisory for those traveling to the Bahamas. This means they are advising visitors to the Bahamas to “be extra cautious.”
According to the State Department, most of the crime is occurring in New Providence, which includes Nassau, and Grand Bahama, which includes Freeport. For anyone going to Nassau, the government advises being aware of the “Over the Hill” area, where they say homicides have been increasing due to gang-related violence, primarily involving locals. They also mentioned that burglaries, armed robberies, and sexual assaults are happening in both tourist-designated areas and non-tourist areas. They recommend being vigilant when staying at short-term rentals without private security. The Level 2 advisory for the Bahamas is slightly higher than Level 1, which is to “exercise normal precautions.” Level 3 advises to “reconsider travel” and a Level 4 advisory is to “do not travel.” Here are the guidelines the State Department provides for anyone traveling to the Bahamas.
– Don’t answer the door at your hotel or rental unless you know who it is
– Don’t physically resist if you’re being robbed
– Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program – or STEP – to get alerts and make it easier to locate you in the event of an emergency.
There are more tips on the State Department’s travel advisory. You can read about them here. KHOU 11 on social media: Facebook | X | Instagram | YouTube
