Bahamas refutes US travel warning, PM assures tourists they are ‘safe and welcoming

The government of the Bahamas reassured tourists this week that the island nation is a “safe” place to visit, despite the US embassy’s warning about the increasing gang violence in the paradise destination.

According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis said in a statement on Tuesday that the government is “alert, attentive, and proactive” in ensuring that the Bahamas remains “welcoming” to travellers.

His statement came after the US embassy issued a serious security alert and travel advisory on Jan. 24, following 18 mostly gang-related homicides in the Bahamas in January.

Davis reportedly said in his statement “The rating of the Bahamas has not changed; we remain a Level 2 alongside most tourism destinations.”