On Troubled Travel Destinations

A while back I posted an image on Instagram from my 2019 visit to Colombia’s La Guajira region. The image prompted the following response from a follower: “I believe I read that teenagers who opposed the regime were being executed.”

Following further digital discussion I learned the poster, a longtime travel public relations professional, sought to warn potential travelers to avoid the South American nation.

As is often the case with social media, it appears the poster wasn’t especially strong on facts. My subsequent internet searches produced a score of stories on the protests, but none of the articles I found mentioned “executions” of teenagers.

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Of course, I did find many stories on May protests during which 19 people were reported killed in clashes between police and protesters, with “hundreds” more injured. Citizens were reportedly demonstrating against poverty and unemployment in the wake of the pandemic.

But Colombia is far from alone in this regard. In fact, similar protests have occurred in countries around the world since the pandemic, including the U.S. While most have not resulted in deadly violence, incidents like those in Colombia have played out in other global cities in the past year.

The incidents highlight an issue linked inexorably to leisure travel: how to approach travel to destinations impacted by political and social turmoil. There are no easy answers, and two of the Caribbean's most distinctive travel destinations, Cuba and Haiti, currently fit the troubled travel destination paradigm.

Tough Times

Long enmeshed in perceived and genuine difficulty due to the travel embargo with the U.S., Cuba has struggled to resume tourism activity following the pandemic and the Trump Administration’s 2019 ban on cruise tourism, which the Biden administration has to date let stand.

Although it’s open to U.S. travelers, entering Cuba is not simple. Requirements include medical insurance and COVID-19 testing prior to and upon arrival, with more testing on the fifth day.

Cuba travelers must also quarantine until a test negative result is produced. As with prior to the pandemic, Americans may also visit only under specific travel categories including support for the Cuban people. Flights to Cuba from the U.S. are also limited.

Equally important is whether it is safe – or even ethical – to visit a country embroiled in fraught political unrest. Protests like those in Cuba at the least reveal urgency among segments of the population to address important societal issues.

Leisure travel within this context may appear insensitive, and travelers’ personal feelings regarding the demonstrators’ plight are likely to influence their decisions regarding Cuba travel. Because violence and arrests have also accompanied the protests, safety may also be an issue.

Haiti faces an even more tense situation following the horrific assassination of President Jovenel Moise earlier this month. Moise’s death came amidst growing post-outbreak political and societal insecurity in the Caribbean nation.

As with Cuba, Haiti is open to U.S. visitors, but the current situation makes travel there a no-go for most Americans. The U.S. Department of State lists Haiti as a Level 4: Do Not Travel country due to issues including “civil unrest.”

Cuba is also listed at Level 4 due in part to “demonstrable and sometimes debilitating injuries to members of our diplomatic community resulting in the drawdown of embassy staff.”

While both nations are engaged in intense political and societal troubles, there’s almost no region that hasn’t experienced similar adversity, from Asia to Europe, Israel and even our own country. Theoretically, no city is immune from someday becoming a travel risk.

These challenging circumstances force equally difficult decisions regarding whether – and when – it may be possible to travel to these places again.

That’s tremendously unfortunate in both cases here, because Cuba and Haiti are among the most fascinating travel destinations not only in the Caribbean but anywhere in the world.

Visitors to Havana and other Cuban cities like Trinidad de Cuba, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, will find easily accessible, abundant examples of Cuban history, music, cuisine and culture. Cuba’s splendid natural beauty is emblematic of the treasures of sea, sand and sun that characterize Caribbean landscapes.

Haiti’s natural and cultural treasures are equally impressive. The country boasts the Caribbean’s foremost art scene, with thousands of craft makers working in an array of media. There are several galleries, craft cooperatives and art museums in Port au Prince plus artists’ colonies in the cities of Jacmel and Noailles.

There’s no telling when most travelers may be able to again visit these two wonderful countries in the same manner, and with the same air of confidence, as in previous years.

In each case, we can only hope the expressed will of citizens in both countries will, and should, determine how their future will look and if that future includes the safe and welcome exposure to travelers these fascinating countries deserve.