World’s ‘most dangerous’ cities where tourists are warned ‘don’t leave hotel’
There are several cities in the world which attract tourists thanks to their natural beauty, busy streets or wonders of the world – but which are actually so dangerous travellers are wanted not to leave their resorts. High crime rates affect a number of counties with some cities being particularly badly affected.
Whether you’re looking to relax on the beach, enjoy an all-inclusive hotel or visit famous sights you don’t usually want to be worried about keeping your belongings or person safe. For this reason, it’s always important to check the government’s travel advice before booking a trip away.
Armormax, an armoured vehicle company, listed three cities as being particularly dangerous due to criminal activity. These included hotspots in the Caribbean, Mexico and Brazil.
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Acapulco, Mexico
Firstly, Acapulco in Mexico was noted as one particularly dangerous tourist destination due to its high crime rate. The port city is full of bustling streets, skyscrapers, a huge golden sand beach and the bright blue sea – plus plenty of holiday resorts.
The beach resort town is backed by the gorgeous Madre del Sur mountains and was famous in the 1950s and 1960s for its nightlife and golf courses. Unfortunately, the once booming tourism industry has waned due to the increase in crime due to organised crime violence and clashes between the police and drug traffickers.
In August this year, El Pais dubbed Acapulco "hell" where shootings, blockades and burning vehicles are common. Crime groups have been vying for control of transport while tourists were threatened on a hijacked bus before all of their luggage was allegedly burned.
While there are still holiday resorts in Acapulco it is not advisable to visit. The UK government advises against almost all travel to the state of Guerrero where Acapulco is based – but it does say that you can visit the "city of Acapulco accessed by the 95D federal toll road".
Numbeo ranked Acapulco’s level of crime as high with a rating of 76.97 – comparatively, London’s is 63.48. Armourmax stated: "Since its heyday, the city has seen an explosion in crime, including homicide, causing overseas visitors to choose other destinations instead."
The British government advice states: "Guerrero is a violent state with a history of insecurity. There is a organised crime presence throughout the state, including in central Acapulco and Chilpancingo. There have been several instances of armed crime, including shootings and executions, both within and outside the tourist areas in Acapulco.
"The local authorities work to reduce the risks to tourists in the touristic zone in Acapulco, but you should take extreme care. Do not walk outside of your hotel at night and avoid leaving the touristic zone."
Kingston, Jamaica
Another city popular with holidaymakers that has a high criminal activity warning is Kingston, Jamaica. The capital of the gorgeous Caribbean island is filled with white sand beaches, luxury hotels and resorts and balmy weather, but sadly also high poverty rates that may lead to higher crime rates.
While Jamaica is still a fabulous place to go on holiday – especially for Bob Marley fans or anyone who loves history – it’s important to be careful when visiting . Armormax stated: "Visitors here are advised not to stray away from the safety of the resorts."
Numbeo assigned Kingston a crime rating of 78.82 – which is even higher than Acapulco and the city has high ratings for almost every type of crime included in the statistics such as car theft, home invasions, drugs, vandalism, theft, assault and armed robbery.
The gov.uk advice states: "Crime levels are high, particularly in and around certain areas of Kingston and Montego Bay. Gang violence and shootings are common, and while these incidents are generally confined to inner city neighbourhoods there have been recent incidents outside of these where the risk of becoming a collateral victim does exist.
"The motive for most attacks on tourists is robbery. There are mobile police patrols, but you should take steps to protect yourself and your belongings. Be vigilant at all times, even if you’re staying with friends and family.
"Most hotels and resorts are well guarded, but robberies can occur. Follow hotel security procedures. Use hotel safe, lock windows and doors and report suspicious activity.
"If you are in residential accommodation, make sure proper door locks and window grilles are fitted and consider employing a guard and fitting a house alarm. Gated and guarded compounds are normally the safest type of accommodation."
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Another city named as particularly dangerous for tourists due to criminal activity was Rio de Janeiro. It may surprise you because Rio is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations – and is home to one of the wonders of the world Christ the Redeemer.
Rio also boats plenty of pretty sand beaches, to weather, amazing food and great beach resorts – plus at the right time of year there’s the Carnival which will blow your socks off. Unfortunately, it’s also fairly unsafe to leave the confines of your hotel.
Rio de Janiero has a crime rating of a massive 90.39 on Number – that’s well above the classification given to either Acapulco or Kingston. Meaning that despite its popularity the Brazilian city is quite dangerous.
The UK government states: "Despite high crime levels, most visits are trouble free. Levels of crime including violent crime are high, particularly in major cities. You are likely to see a heavy police presence on the streets, particularly in Rio de Janeiro. Bank card fraud including credit card cloning is common.
"There are high levels of crime, particularly robberies, within Brazil’s cities and the murder rate can be very high. This can vary greatly within a city, so familiarise yourself with the geography of a city and take local advice to identify the riskier areas.
"Tourists in Rio de Janeiro have reported armed robberies on the Corcovado walking trail to the Christ the Redeemer statue. You’re advised not to use the trail at this time."
You should always check the official travel advice for any foreign destination you plan to visit. You can do this on the gov.uk website.
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