Montego Bay state of emergency extended to May: Travel Weekly

A state of public emergency in St. James Parish of Jamaica,
which includes Montego Bay, has again been extended to May 2.

The emergency order, which set in place enhanced security
measures for residents and visitors due to a wave of gang-related criminal
activities, was first issued on Jan. 18 by Prime Minister Andrew Holness and
was to run for two weeks. It was later extended to early April.

“It was not anticipated that all would be accomplished
in 14 days,” Holness said, in announcing the extension.

The order allows the military to support the police in joint
security operations.

In a briefing during the Caribbean Travel Marketplace in San
Juan last week, Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett said that most of the
violence and shootings occurred in the inner city of Montego Bay and did not
impact the tourism areas.

“Jamaica acted preemptively by declaring a state of
public emergency to avoid further problems. Enough is enough. The current crime
wave does damage to a visitor’s perception of Jamaica. The order is a tool to
cauterize and protect the destination to assure a safe, secure and seamless
situation for all involved,” Bartlett said.

The minister reported no impact on bookings or
cancellations.

“It’s business as usual. The tourists are here on our
beaches, in our resorts and at our attractions. In fact, our arrival numbers
were up 13.5% last week and were up 6.7% for all of January,” he said.