Operators insist Antigua is safe, but locals disagree

Tour operators are urging customers not to cancel plans to visit Antigua in the wake of the murder of the British honeymooner Catherine Mullany, insisting that the Caribbean island is still safe for holidaymakers.

High-street travel agents have reported “significant numbers” of travellers seeking to switch their holidays to alternative destinations such as Barbados or Cuba following last weekend’s shooting, but while operators are insisting that “normal booking conditions apply”, those wishing to change their travel plans could incur extra costs.

“This is a tragic incident, but it is believed to be an isolated case which local police are treating as a robbery that went wrong,” Kuoni said. “Antigua is considered a safe, friendly and relaxed destination.”

Those living on the island disagree, claiming that visitors should be concerned for their safety and that, far from this being an “isolated case”, Antigua is in the midst of a violent crime wave with a murder rate almost three times higher than New York’s. “Antigua is like Dodge City,” said local community leader Dean Jonas, and hotel barman Lee Miller said Mrs Mullany’s murder was “inevitable” .

Last year, 19 people were murdered on Antigua, and Mrs Mullany’s death has pushed this year’s official body count to 10. That figure is disputed by local police, who say that the true number is 14 - on an island of just 69,000. Last month alone, there were three murders, two rapes and 11 nonfatal shootings in a population smaller than that of Guildford.

Hoteliers have promised to increase security, especially on properties with remote rooms, and the Foreign Office has amended its advice to travellers, noting that “there has been an overall increase in crime in Antigua over recent months, including gun crime”. It advises visitors to “take sensible precautions and be vigilant at all times. Avoid isolated areas, including beaches after dark. Do not carry large amounts of cash or jewellery”.