Photo: The national flag of Jamaica. Travel Pulse
Jamaica's tourism leaders are expressing their gratitude following a visit from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. His visit to Kingston on Wednesday brought good news, with Rubio committing to re-evaluate the U.S. State Department's travel advisory for the island. This visit included meetings with Prime Minister Andrew Holness and other key government officials.
After the meetings, Rubio shared the news that the U.S. government would look over the current advisory, which has been in place since July 2024. He said, “We pledged we’re going to go back and reevaluate the travel advisories as they currently stand to ensure that they reflect the reality of the new numbers and what the numbers show.”
Prime Minister Holness was optimistic about this pledge. He expressed confidence that this review would help promote travel to Jamaica. “We are committed to working collaboratively to ensure that travel advisories reflect the current realities and promote travel to Jamaica,” he said. Holness added that the talks held on the day would lead to meaningful changes.
Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, also voiced his appreciation for Rubio’s actions. He said, “We are very grateful to Secretary of State Rubio for considering our position that the current travel advisory is outdated. Jamaica and the U.S. have long been closely aligned, and our friendship remains strong.”
The Director of Tourism for the Jamaica Tourist Board, Donovan White, highlighted that the U.S. is Jamaica’s top source of tourists. “We love our U.S. visitors, and they, in turn, love us. We welcomed more than 4 million visitors last year, with the majority coming from the U.S.,” White explained.
Since July 2024, the U.S. State Department has kept Jamaica’s advisory at “Level 3: Reconsider Travel” due to concerns about crime and the country’s medical services. This advisory is only one step below the highest advisory, “Level 4: Do Not Travel,” which gives travelers an impression that the island is not entirely safe. The warning states that violent crimes, such as armed robberies and sexual assaults, are common, even in tourist areas.
Rubio did not promise to lower the advisory level right away but did mention that changes could be made. He acknowledged the progress that Jamaica has made in addressing crime, especially with improvements in the murder rate. He stated, “Jamaica has made very impressive progress in your general numbers overall when it comes to the murder rate and so forth.”
This visit is seen as a positive step toward improving Jamaica’s image and encouraging more tourists, particularly from the U.S. As discussions continue, both nations hope the travel advisory will better reflect the reality of life on the island, helping Jamaica maintain its position as a popular tourist destination.
