Saturday, January 20, 2018
British tourists in Jamaica have been warned by the Foreign Office to stay in their resorts in after a spate of deadly shootings Montego Bay. The Jamaican government has declared a state of emergency in the St James parish, after a number of “shooting incidents”.
The popular holiday hotspot of Montego Bay – home to a string of upmarket resorts – has witnessed a recent spike in gun crime that saw authorities resort to extreme measures. The Foreign Office has told British tourists to stay in the confines of their hotels as a “major military operation” takes place.
About 200,000 British tourists holiday in the Montego Bay area every year.
Andrew Holness, the country’s Prime Minister said the state of emergency was “necessary” in order to “restore public safety” in the St James area. In a news bulletin, it said tourists ‘should stay in their resorts and limit travel beyond their respective security perimeters’. “Most hotels and resorts have assigned Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) drivers who carry photo ID and display a prominent blue JTB sticker on the front windscreen.” FCO advices that the only times when they should leave the resorts are for “travel to and from the airport or for excursions” and the journey should be arranged by the resort hotels.
Unless the Foreign Office warns against travel, holiday firms are likely to maintain existing terms to customers with forward bookings for Jamaica. They will not be able to switch destination or cancel the trip without penalty.
Tuesday, January 2, 2024
