Travel Restrictions Eased for Vacation Destination Popular with Texas Travelers

(KPEL-FM) Over the next few weeks, hundreds of thousands of Texans will be taking a well-deserved summer break, and they will participate in the blood pressure-raising, stress-inducing relaxation that is a vacation. From Amarillo to Wichita Falls to El Paso, Abilene, and Houston, there are a lot of Lone Star travel plans in the works.

Sure, vacations can be stressful, but if you weren't stressed, how would you know you were relaxing? Regardless of how you feel about the "joy of travel," we do have some good news for Texas travelers, especially the thousands who will sail away from Galveston on a summertime cruise. 

There has been a change in a travel advisory posted by the United States Department of State. This should make Texans with potential travel plans to one island nation breathe a little easier. The change stops short of giving the destination the all clear, but the revised travel advisory suggests conditions for American guests and their families have improved.

What Are the Different Travel Advisory Levels and What Do They Mean?

If you're not familiar with how State Department Travel Advisories work, they are reported on four different levels. A Level 1 advisory encourages travelers to exercise normal precautions. You could say that any destination that's not your house is a Level 1.

The Level 2 advisory is a little more serious, but shouldn't deter you from making your trip. A Level 2 advisory suggests travelers exercise increased caution. This means that there are concerns about safety at the destination, but using common sense should keep you out of any trouble.

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The Level 3 Advisory is a plea from the United States Department of State that you reconsider your travel to that destination. They aren't saying you can't go. They are saying that if you do go, there is a significant risk to your personal safety. So, if you're traveling for pleasure, this would be where you choose another spot to land.

The Level 4 Advisory is simply Do Not Travel. Destinations that get this distinction from the Department of State are usually places where there is an active conflict, government unrest, or the country in question is openly hostile toward the United States.

The destination we are reporting on today is Jamaica, which has been one of my favorite vacation spots for the past 20 years. I have been several times and never had an issue on the island. Of course, I generally stick to the resorts and the airport when I go there. And, if you have travel plans to Jamaica, I'd suggest you do the same.

Which Caribbean Nations Are Safe for U.S. Travelers?

It's safer, but it's not all the way safe. The Department of State has lowered the travel risk for Jamaica from a Level 3 to a Level 2. The latest State Department data suggests that violent crimes on the island are down compared to one year ago, but Jamaica is far from being an island paradise.

The State Department doesn't allow its own employees to use public buses or drive between cities at night because of concerns over crime. That should be a good reminder that if you go, stick to the resorts where you are "protected." Or at least are in a sequestered environment not open to the general population of the island.

There are still several areas of Jamaica where Americans are being told to "Do Not Travel". You can see a list of those specific locations on the island here. But if you do have a cruise that puts in at Montego Bay or you're heading to the Capital of Chill, Negril, you should be okay.

Now, how much is it going to cost to get your car out of the parking lot when you get back?