US Embassy says ‘Do Not Travel’ warning for Barbados is fake

The United States Embassy in Bridgetown has confirmed that there is no change to the country’s travel advisory for Barbados, following the circulation of a false Level 4 ‘Do Not Travel’ alert online. It said the travel advisory remains at the lowest level.

In a notice posted on Friday, the Embassy reminded US citizens and visitors that the official travel advisory for Barbados remains at Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions, that is, the lowest risk level issued by the US Department of State.The statement follows the circulation of an alert claiming that the advisory had been escalated due to rising crime and limited emergency services.

“The Travel Advisory for Barbados remains at Level One,” the Embassy said, adding that official updates are communicated through trusted sources, including the Smart Traveler Enrollment Programme (STEP), a free system that allows US citizens to register their travel plans abroad for timely alerts and consular contact in case of emergency. The notice further shared that travel advisories are managed by the US State Department and can be viewed at travel.state.gov.

The Level 1 advisory, last updated in August 2024, advises Americans to take standard safety precautions when visiting Barbados, which continues to attract thousands of tourists from the US and other areas annually.