Whether in the Dominican Republic or traveling at home, always use caution

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“We’re looking for a killer island vacation… just not to the Dominican Republic,” said the young man who sat in my office at Monroe Travel Service.

I smiled politely. The first time I had heard the double entendre about a “killer vacation,” I had smiled, but, then, it went viral.  Like wildfire, the words spread on Instagram and Facebook, and, as a travel agent, I watched tourism numbers drop dramatically for this beautiful little Caribbean island.

Over the last 6 months, 9 Americans have died from what the media  called “highly suspicious” circumstances in the Dominican Republic. Yet, before we jump to conclusions and the island’s tourism nosedives even further, perhaps it should be noted the U.S State Department has never increased the travel warning level for the Dominican Republic.

It still remains at the same Level 2 advisory they had issued in April. Basically, this advisory level suggests U.S. citizens should exercise increased caution in the Dominican Republic due to crime in certain areas. Unfortunately, this is a pretty standard advisory applied to travel almost anywhere–even in Monroe!

I would like to believe our Department of State has been closely monitoring the investigations into the cause of these 9 deaths and would change the alert if the facts demanded it.  Yet, in the meantime, it is important to note 3.2 million Americans traveled to the Dominican Republic last year. There is overwhelming evidence that all but 9 of these 3.2 million U.S. citizens returned without incident , or non-natural deaths as the State Department calls them.

Please understand I am not implying these recent incidents are not alarming, but I do not want to be like Henny Penny and panic because the “sky is falling.”  I will do that when the facts are in.  I personally would not be concerned about a visit to the island next week, but, as a travel agent, I do believe every traveler must decide his comfort level and determine if a trip to the DR is worthy of an investment in time and money. 

This brings me to my travel agent 101 advice of the day: always, always, always buy trip insurance. Travel insurance may seem costly at the time of  purchase, and Yes!  As a travel agent, I hear when you say you deserve this vacation and plan to go no matter what happens.  Still, experience is a great teacher. I have had a groom miss his honeymoon trip because he fell from the roof of the new home he was completing for his bride.

Life just has a way of getting in the way of our best laid plans. At Monroe Travel Service, we have plenty of testimonials from travelers who will share their stories about the importance of insurance. Most of our clients who chose to cancel their trip to the DR  because they felt the risk too great were protected by trip insurance; we were able to change their vacation to another island destination without penalties.

Without the cancel for any reason trip insurance, the only alternative would have been  to stay the course or endure the penalties. A good insurance policy not only proves invaluable before the trip, but also provides protection coverage from start to finish when you are traveling. For example, insurance will cover the financial loss incurred when flight delays occur ( think extra meals, lodging and the added expense of getting to your destination). In addition, coverage includes medical and dental protection as well as baggage delay and loss protection and there is always trip evacuation included when things go really wrong.

So, just as it not smart to leave home without travel insurance, it is not wise to rush to judgement against the DR as a “killer island.”  Our world is a wonderful, but crazy place. Why only last weekend in the NewsStar, I read how an employee at a local business near the airport had died from multiple gunshot wounds. On the same page, another article told how a grand jury had cleared two officers of justifiably shooting a man who had disobeyed their commands. It seems the deceased was sitting in a SUV near a Bastrop school with a loaded semi-authomatic handgun and an extended clip.

Every day, everywhere, sad and strange things happen. There is no doubt we need to exercise care and use common sense when navigating our way through it — whether we are in the Dominican Republic or Bastrop, La.  Always be mindful of your situation. Don’t go walking alone in the dark. Never leave a drink unattended and then come back to it. Refuse rides from strangers. Keep your wits about you and, even on vacation, use the buddy system.  Make sure you are not too drunk to find your way back to your room. Don’t mix drugs–of any kind–with alcohol as it could prove a deadly combination.

Vacation season is here.  Stay cool.  Enjoy your time in the sun — whether in the DR or at Gulf Shores — and always be in the moment. Besides, isn’t that where all the fun happens?

Dianne Newcomer is a travel agent at Monroe Travel Service, 1908 Glenmar Avenue between North 19th Street and Tower Drive.  For your next vacation, call us at 318 323 3465 or email info@monroetravel.com for an appointment.  We would love to send you away.