WASHINGTON — If you or someone you know has a getaway planned for the Bahamas, there’s something the U.S. government wants you to know about.
Citing increased crime, the State Department on Friday issued a Level 2 travel advisory for anyone going there. That means they want visitors to the Bahamas to "exercise increased caution."
According to the State Department, most of the crime there is happening in New Providence, which includes Nassau, and Grand Bahama, which includes Freeport.
For anyone heading to Nassau, the government says to be aware of the “Over the Hill” area, where they say homicides have been on the rise because of gang-on-gang violence, primarily with locals there. According to the U.S. Embassy in the Bahamas, there have been 18 murders since the start of 2024.
They also said burglaries, armed robberies and sexual assaults are happening in both areas designed for tourists and areas that aren’t. They said you should be vigilant when staying at short-term rentals without private security.
The Level 2 advisory issued for the Bahamas is just above Level 1, which is to "exercise normal precautions." Level 3 is to "reconsider travel" and a Level 4 advisory is to "do not travel."
Here's the guidance the State Department offers 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 find you in the event of an emergency
There are more tips on the State Department's travel advisory. You can read about them here.