Canada issues travel advisories for these hot vacation spots

A warm-weather vacation could be a great way to escape Ontario’s cold temperatures.

A cold snap is expected in southern Ontario starting on Sunday with wind chills down to -30 C possible on Monday.

3 new Fall openings at Heartland Town Centre

This could be the perfect time to get away. But before travellers head out, it is a good idea to check out the latest travel advisories.

The federal government maintains a Travel Advice and Advisories page to help travellers make informed decisions and travel safely outside Canada.

They analyze trends and incidents affecting international travellers, monitor world events and collect updated reports from different sources.

Here are some countries with updated travel advisories:

Dominican Republic

Risks: Crime.

Reasons: Crime, including violent crime, occurs across the country, especially in major cities. The police are often unable to respond quickly to calls for assistance, especially outside of resort and tourist areas, the advisory states.

Crime of opportunity is common in tourist areas. Thieves may try to snatch visible money, valuables, or grab your phone from your hands. Crime tends to rise during holiday periods. Drive-by robberies are common. Thieves on motorcycles, scooters or bicycles snatch bags and other valuables from pedestrians.

Unethical lawyers, known locally as “pirate lawyers” operate in tourist areas, particularly in Punta Cana. They wait near tourist police stations and offer legal services to detained foreigners, for which they charge excessive fees to resolve the cases.

Honduras

Risks: Crime.

Reasons: Violent crime remains a concern throughout Honduras. The country retains one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Drug trafficking, transnational organized crime and street gang activity are prevalent in certain neighbourhoods.

Local authorities periodically declare a state of emergency in various municipalities to fight against gang-related crime and extortion. While a state of emergency is in effect, security forces have increased rights to restrict freedom of movement, conduct searches, make seizures and detain persons of interest.

Coastal waters can be dangerous. Riptides are common. Rescue services may not be consistent with international standards. Not all beaches have lifeguards or warning flags to warn of unsafe conditions.

Nicaragua

Risks: The political situation, the potential for civil unrest and crime.

Reasons: The country has experienced periods of political unrest since April 2018, resulting in hundreds of deaths and detentions. Since the 2021 presidential elections, Nicaraguan government officials and law enforcement have severely repressed those critical or opposed to government policies.

A new update was added for drones. Drones are strictly prohibited in Nicaragua. If you do not comply with national legislation, you may face charges, including criminal charges.

Mexico

Risks: High levels of criminal activity and kidnapping.

Reasons: Mexican authorities have made efforts to protect major tourist destinations, resulting in lower levels of gang-related violence in these areas. However, incidents of violent crime still occur in major cities, popular tourist areas and resorts.

Canadian travellers have been physically and sexually assaulted. In some cases, hotel employees, taxi drivers and security personnel at popular tourist destinations were involved. Sometimes, hotel staff are not helpful and try to dissuade victims from reporting the incident to the police.

In Mexico City, all government-authorized taxis have licence plates starting with “A” or “B.” Taxis from designated stands have a company logo and licence plate number on the side of the car. Official taxis in Mexico City are pink and white. Users can reserve these taxis on the CDMX app. Credit card fraud occurs. Drivers may charge excessive amounts, sometimes without customers’ knowledge.

Madagascar

Risks: High crime rate, the potential for political instability and Tropical Cyclone Dikeledi.

Reasons: Petty crime, such as pickpocketing and purse snatching, is common throughout the country. Be particularly vigilant in areas frequented by tourists in Antananarivo. There are reports of violent crime across all regions of Madagascar. Armed gangs are known to commit home invasions, carjackings, robberies, and kidnappings.

On Jan. 11, Cyclone Dikeledi made landfall on northern Madagascar, in Diana region. It caused significant damage to buildings and infrastructure. The storm brought excessive rainfall and violent winds. There are reports of several casualties and displaced persons. Cyclone Dikeledi caused severe flooding and there could be disruptions to essential services.

For a complete list of advisories and further information, see the website here.