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The Bahamas is a “safe” destination for tourists, the Bahamian government insisted this week after the U.S. embassy sounded the alarm about deadly gang violence in the vacation hotspot.
Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis said in a statement on Tuesday that the government is working “vigilant, cautious and proactive” to ensure the island nation remains “welcome” to travelers. According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Davis’ comments came after the U.S. Embassy issued a strict safety warning and travel advisory on January 24 after 18 mostly gang-related murders in the Bahamas in January. .
“The Bahamas’ rating has not changed. We remain at Level 2, along with most tourist destinations,” Davis was quoted as saying in a statement.
“The incidents listed in the January 2024 U.S. Embassy Crime Alert do not reflect the general safety of the Bahamas, a country of 16 tourist destinations, and many other islands.”
The Bahamas has been rated Level 2 since 2022, and was first assigned the level in 2018, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
The US embassy urged travelers to “exercise extreme caution” east of Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas.
He also advised Americans to be especially vigilant at night and to “keep a low profile” at all times.
Davis said the government is implementing “robust and innovative crime prevention strategies,” including additional police resources and a zero-tolerance policy for firearm possession, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Royal Bahamas Police announced last week that they had recovered nine firearms and 1,500 rounds of ammunition.
Despite the rise in crime, the Bahamas is more popular than ever with tourists, with more than eight million tourists visiting the tropical island last year, according to Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper.
“2023 was a monumental year for the tourism industry,” Cooper said at an event in Florida.
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