The government is warning against all travel to new destinations

With some colleges already resuming classes and others only now starting their spring break recess, large numbers of students are traveling for what is traditionally a holiday fueled by sun and alcohol.

Cities like Miami Beach and Daytona Beach are some of the most common spring break destinations domestically while countries like Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica are popular for international travel.

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In advance of the spring break travel boon, the U.S. State Department and local embassies have been issuing a series of warnings about both the safety of specific destinations and behaviors that can lead to trouble.

After several Americans got arrested over carrying bullet rounds in their suitcases in 2024, the government reminded travelers that visitors who either accidentally or knowingly bring ammunition to Turks and Caicos can face “arrest, jail time, and heavy fines.”

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The latest country to get an updated travel advisory is the South American nation of Colombia. While U.S. travel to cities such as Cartagena and Medellín has skyrocketed in the post-covid period, the U.S. government still keeps the country at a level three “reconsider travel rating.”

“Reconsider travel to Colombia due tocrime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping,” the travel advisory updated on April 17 now reads. It further goes on to warn that “violent crime, like murder, assault, and robbery, is common in many areas in Colombia.”

Specific parts of Colombia, including the Colombia-Venezuela border and the northern Arauca and Norte de Santander regions, have been updated with the highest “do not travel” rating due to higher rates of drug trafficking and other violence.

Representatives of the U.S. government are explicitly prohibited from traveling to these areas even when going to Colombia in a personal capacity.

Going to Colombia? Know these warnings

Countries like Canada and the United Kingdom keep Colombia as a whole outside certain regions at the lower level two rating of exercising more caution. The country has, in the last year, embarked on a major push to shed a reputation as the hotspot of drug cartels.

This has largely been working — while Colombia’s tourism board had initially set a target of six million visitors, 6.2 million international tourists came to Colombia in 2024. Destinations such as Cartagena and Medellín are especially popular while the capital Bogotá has also been growing in interest as a holiday destinatino.

More on travel:

For those traveling, the U.S. government recommends staying on top of local news coverage of demonstrations and police action that can break out suddenly while also avoiding traveling alone during late hours of the night. Other advice is to remain aware of one’s surroundings and keep flashy jewelry or other signs of wealth out of sight — standard tips issued to any destination with the level three rating.

Countries with the same advisory include other popular holiday destinations such as Jamaica, Egypt and Trinidad and Tobago.

“Keep a low profile,” the tips read further. “Do not display signs of wealth, such as expensive watches or jewelry. Stay aware of your surroundings.”

A number of cruise lines including Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean call on Cartagena, Colombia.

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