Is Guatemala Safe To Travel?

Guatemala is an impressive country, which is situated in the Central America and shares borders with Mexico, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. It has caught the attention of the world through a landscape of towering volcanoes, tropical jungles, old colonial cities, mysterious Mayan ruins, and beautiful native people. Over the last decade, tourism has been on the rise in Guatemala. However, there are always tendencies of people voicing their concerns about safety when traveling to Guatemala especially due to issues of crime and violence. Well, is Guatemala safe for tourists? Here is an overview:

Safety Risks:

While most visits to Guatemala are trouble-free, there are some safety issues to be aware of

• Petty Theft: Like other Latin American nations, there are inherent dangers of theft including pick pocketing, snatching of bags and theft of items left in car boots etc, more so in major cities and tourist attraction areas. Be watchful with your things.
• Violent Crime: Guatemala has rather high rates of violent crime in the region of Latin America, however, visitors as tourists are rather unlikely to experience it. Homicides and armed assaults are more likely to occur in marginal city areas or areas bordering another country that is involved in selling drugs. Be cautious as you would when driving in US cities.
• Drug Trafficking: The country of Guatemala is involved in the transit of drugs from South America to North America. Turf battles between cartels are common but the tourists are not attacked. Some of the border areas near Mexico should however be avoided Some of the border areas near Mexico should however be avoided Some of the border areas near Mexico should however be avoided
• Scams: There are occasional incidences of robbery cons for which tourists are targeted for example fake police barricades. It is advisable to avoid driving during night time. Always use only marked official taxis with counters and do not share the car with strangers.
• Safety Precautions:
  The key is following common sense safety tips for travel in Guatemala:The key is following common sense safety tips for travel in Guatemala:
• Don't Bring Valuables: It is also advisable to leave expensive items such as watches, rings or even electronics at home if possible. Exclude mobile phones from sight. Try to avoid taking multitudes of items with you, only take what is necessary for the day.
• Use Hotel Safes: Use of hotel safe to safeguard money, passports and any other personal items when you are out of the hotel.
• - Stick to Main Tourist Sites: In most areas of tourist attraction such as Antigua, Lake Atitlan, and Tikal, the crime rates are relatively low and much lower than in cities, especially Guatemala city. Expressed in terms of the number of incidents, violent crime seldom hits these prime sites.
• Hire Private Shuttle Transfers: Avoid the use of public transport. Hire private shuttles, or tourist bus transports from one travel site to another to ensure safety and flexibility.
• Stay in Main City Districts: When visiting Guatemala City or any other cities, avoid traveling to remote areas, and only take radio-dispatched taxis in busy business areas during the day. Avoid poor neighborhoods.
• Take Guided Tours: Travelling with a professional local guide is secure when walking around unknown territories, visiting unknown villages or going in for a trek through the less explored territories. They know where to go and where not to go.

Guatemala Tourist Stats:

Thus, tourism remains buoyant in Guatemala even though there have been one-off safety concerns. Guatemala received 2, 4 million foreign tourists in 2018 and no any severe case was noted. The great majority of the journeys occur without incident if only standard travel measures are taken into consideration. However, travelers should observe current conditions through travel advisories to gain current information.

Is Guatemala Safe? Conclusion:

Even though Guatemala has a higher level of violent crime than other countries in Central America, most of it takes place off the tourist trail. Tout continues to be prevalent especially in crowded sites. But if one follows few rules and regulation such as should not cross dangerous areas, should not hire an unlicensed taxi, should not carry precious items with you, and should prefer to go with the tourist sites having tours mostly then Guatemala is safe to travel. Violent crime is very seldom associated with foreign guests. Therefore, yes – Guatemala is relatively safe for tourists as long as the security measures are being taken into account.

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