NASSAU — The Bahamas Hotel & Tourism Association (BHTA), alongside the government of The Bahamas, including The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation (BMOTIA), is working with tourism stakeholders to address reports in the wake of travel alerts in the U.S. and Canada.

As reported last month, the Canadian government is cautioning Canadian travellers to exercise a high degree of caution when travelling in the Bahamas due to high rates of crime, especially in Freeport and Nassau. The Canadian government’s Bahamas Travel Advice page can be found here. The advice for U.S. travellers at travel.state.gov can be found here.

“We are intent on ensuring that it is widely known that The Bahamas, a premier tourism destination that has been in the business of tourism for more than 200 years, is a SAFE destination to visit,” says the BHTA.

The BHTA says it is emphasizing that The Bahamas remains at a Level 2 US Travel Advisory designation “where we have been since 2022.”

There has been no elevation of this designation. “We share this status (Level 2) with 70 other countries across the world, including but not limited to some of the most popular tourist destinations on the planet: France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands, Maldives, and The United Kingdom.”

The BHTA points to an article published this week by The Nassau Guardian, with comments from the US Embassy’s Charge d’Affairs, Usha Pitts, who lives in The Bahamas. Asked if she was concerned about the safety of Americans in The Bahamas, she said, “No. Not the least concerned.” The link to the article in The Nassau Guardian is here.

The BHTA says: “Crime at any level, be it against citizens or visitors, is not tolerated in The Bahamas. We consider all forms of criminal activity to be of grave national concern and we will continue to work collaboratively with the government of The Bahamas, private sector stakeholders, our church leaders and our community members, to address instances of crime. We are not alone in our fight against crime, destinations globally, including the United States, Canada and Europe, experience crime, and we recognize they are equally ardent in their fight against it.”

The BHTA adds: “The Bahamas has been in the business of tourism for a very long time, we are very good at what we do. We know how to care for the guests we invite into our home. Last year we were pleased to welcome 9 million visitors to our shores, the vast majority of whom left with great memories, having experienced the best The Bahamas has to offer, unrivalled beauty, and the genuine, warm hospitality of our people. Our success as a tourism destination is a testament to our ability to provide our guests with an incredible, enjoyable, safe and secure experience in The Bahamas.”