U.S. updates travel advisory for The Bahamas over violent crime. What about Canada?

A woman walks along an ocean coast in Freeport, The Bahamas, Aug. 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa, File)

The U.S. is warning travellers to The Bahamas to “exercise increased caution” due to crime.

In an updated travel advisory published this week, the U.S. State Department said most crime occurs in Nassau and Freeport, which are popular cruise destinations and the island country’s two largest cities.

“Violent crime—like armed robberies, burglaries, and sexual assaults—can occur anywhere in The Bahamas,” the travel advisory said. “Stay alert in vacation rental properties, especially where private security is not present.”

The U.S. advisory also urges caution with independent jet ski and boat rental operators, telling American visitors to leave their guns and ammo at home.

CTVNews.ca reached out to Global Affairs Canada to see if Canada would follow the lead of the U.S., but it did not immediately respond.

Canada last updated its travel advisory for The Bahamas on March 6. The update included information on the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus.

“There is a risk of chikungunya in this country,” the Canadian advisory explained. “It can cause fever and pain in the joints. In some cases, the joint pain can be severe and last for months or years.”

A vaccine is available in Canada.

“The Government of Canada advises all Canadians to exercise a high degree of caution in The Bahamas due to high rates of crime, especially in Nassau and Freeport,” a Global Affairs Canada spokesperson told CTVNews.ca.

You can read Canada’s full travel advice for The Bahamas here. Canada and the U.S. use similar four-part scales for classifying risks in other countries, and both have placed The Bahamas in the second safest category alongside island getaways like Cuba and the Dominican Republic.