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Complying with travel policies.

The University has several policies and procedures related to reimbursement and prepayment of travel expenses. The following guide is designed to assist travelers with policy compliance, to avoid exceptions to University policy.

Please review the FAQ guide titled Avoid Exceptions , for a summary of the exceptions most common to EHE.

What are some best practices to avoid violating University travel policy?

• Obtain Travel Pre-Approval – The University requires travelers to obtain approval from their department chair or supervisor before their trip occurs. This approval needs to come through https://etravel.osu.edu/travel/ (preferred) OR a business leave request.
• Avoid Late Reimbursements (over 90 days) – The University requires travelers to turn in receipts if requesting reimbursement within 90 days of their return. Receipts can be emailed, mailed or dropped off to the EHE Service Center in 350 Campbell Hall.
• Hotel Nightly rate is within limits – The University requires travelers to obtain nightly hotel rates below 2x the federal lodging rate for that city or obtain the conference rate for the hotel. Hotel nightly rates above 1.5x the federal lodging rate require additional business purpose.
• Rental Cars: The University requires travelers to obtain the DW/CDW/LDW and liability insurance, regardless if your personal insurance covers car rentals. Book on the CTP site and OSU discounts and insurance is automatic.
• Airfare : Must use CTP to book flights. The University requires travelers to purchase economy flight seats for all domestic and under 5 hour international flights. International travel over 5 consecutive hours can upgrade to business class seating. Preferred seating (even if required by airline), airfare insurance, TSA pre-check, Global Entry and CLEAR membership expenses are not reimbursable.
• Reasonable transportation expenses – The University allows for transportation expenses for travelers, including taxi, Uber, and Lyft. As these expenses can fluctuate depending on demand, city, and other factors outside of the traveler’s control, higher expenses are expected but are requested to be reasonable. An example of an unreasonable transportation expense is upgrading the service provided (Lyft Lux, Uber Black, Black Car taxi service, etc.) instead of the standard service.
• https://portal.ehe.osu.edu/finance/service-center for information and forms from the College
• Federal Lodging & Per Diem rates https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates (Meal rates =“M&IE”)

Need hands-on help with general purchasing requests? Contact Melissa Savage ( [email protected] ) in 149 Arps Hall to set up a meeting to discuss best practices or to receive a tutorial regarding the eRequest system.

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Travel Instructions: Preapproval, booking, and reimbursement

Preapproval, booking, and reimbursement

This page includes instructions for:

Travel preapproval

Combining business and personal travel

Booking travel

• Requesting travel reimbursement

Screenshots of typical requests are also provided at the end of the document

To request permission to travel, faculty, staff, and grad students must submit a Spend Authorization (SA) through Workday. The SA must be approved prior to departure and before making any travel-related purchases. Travel is reviewed centrally, so approval times can vary widely. To be safe, we recommend that you allow at least 3 weeks to get approval for any travel.

For additional details, please see OSU Travel Policy and the Workday Spend Authorization Job Aid .

What follows is a brief overview of how to submit an SA. Items marked with an asterisk* require that additional documentation be attached to the SA. Required documentation is described in the Attachments section.

• Log into WorkDay ( https://workday.osu.edu/ )
• Type Create Spend Authorization in the search bar, hit enter, and click on the link that appears
• Under Spend Authorization Information complete all fields (even fields that are not identified as required)
• Under Spend Authorization Details* in the box labeled “Justification” describe and justify the travel (what, when, where, and why).
• Airfare: An estimated cost is fine. Please use the field labeled “Arrival date” to indicate the date on which you will return from your trip.
• Baggage Fees: These must be entered separately from airfare.
• Rental Vehicle*: An estimated cost is fine.
• Mileage (Federal Rate)*
• Lodging*: An estimated cost is fine. The university will only reimburse a standard/single room rate for one guest. You may arrive one day prior and depart one day after the business activity.
• Conference Registration: You must identify a “supplier” (e.g., International Communication Association).
• Dues and Memberships: You may also request approval to renew your membership to the professional association at the same time that you register for a conference.
• Ground Transportation: In the Memo field enter the mode of transportation (e.g.: Uber, Lyft, taxi, bus, subway, train) and in the Item Details - Business Reason field describe the trip’s purpose (e.g., home to airport, hotel to airport). You may combine all trips into one item.
• Parking: In the Item Details field describe the type of parking (e.g., airport parking, hotel parking).
• Per Diem (Pre-Trip): Enter the Destination and Number of Days at the bottom of this section and the dollar amount will be filled in automatically. Treat travel days as half a day.
• Travel justification: If attending a conference, you must provide (i) documentation of paper acceptance or presentation details, and (ii) documentation showing dates/location of conference (e.g., a screenshot of the conference website).  Please also describe any additional travel plans (e.g., adding personal travel, flying in/out different cities, etc.)  
• Rental vehicle: If you rent a vehicle instead of flying, you must attach a comparison flight and ASC cost comparison form. You will only be reimbursed for the less expensive option.
• Mileage: If you plan to drive your own car, please attach a Google Map documenting the distance (starting at Derby Hall) and attach both comparison flight and car rental quotes along with an ASC cost comparison form . You will only be reimbursed for the least expensive option.
• Lodging: If you are attending a conference and are unable to book using the conference hotel rate, you must include a justification (i.e., the hotel is sold out).
• If you need to stop before you are done, click “Save for Later” and record the 10-digit SA number.
• If you are done, click “Submit” and make a record of the 10-digit SA number.

Once your SA is approved, you may proceed with booking your travel (see “Booking travel”). If you have not received travel preapproval by at least 3 days before your expected travel date, please contact Brandon and Gwyn.

If you need to revise your SA (after step (7) above):

• Type My Spend Authorization in the search bar, hit enter, and click on the link that appears
• Find your SA number in the list displayed and move the mouse to the magnifying glass icon (🔍). An orange box containing three dots will appear. Click on this, and a pop-up menu will appear. Use the menu to select Spend Authorization > Change.

If you plan to combine business and personal travel or if you intend to fly in/out of different cities (other than home city/conference city), you must  note this in the original SA, including which dates are business travel and which are personal travel.

Once the SA is approved and you prepare to book your travel, you must also generate a cost comparison itinerary. The comparison is between the cost of the trip if it did not include personal travel to the cost of the trip including personal travel. To be eligible for reimbursement, the flight cost comparison must be generated using CTP at the same time that the flight is booked through CTP. 

Expenses should only be incurred once Spend Authorization approval is received.

All faculty and staff business travel airfare must be procured through the university's contracted travel agency Corporate Travel Planners (CTP). Graduate students are not required to book through CTP.

Go to CTP’s website ( https://busfin.osu.edu/buy-schedule-travel/travel ) and click  Book Travel Online . Use the  Trip Search  tool to find your preferred flight itinerary, view rates, etc. You can also use this function to gather flight cost comparisons when applicable (see below).

You should also confirm that Brandon can access your account. Under  Profile/Profile Settings, click on Setup Travel Assistants  to add [email protected] as a travel assistant and check “Can book travel for me.”  Faculty or staff should check that Brandon Moore “Is my primary assistant for travel.”  Graduate students should also check that Brandon Moore “Is my primary assistant for travel.”

Please contact Brandon with any questions or concerns.

Go to OSU Discount Car Rentals ( https://busfin.osu.edu/buy-sell-travel/travel/rental-car-discounts ), log in with your OSU credentials, and scroll down to Make a Business Reservation. Select the links for Enterprise, National or Hertz to view rates or place a reservation.

Requesting travel reimbursement 

All reimbursement documentation must be submitted within 60 days . The traveler is no longer eligible for reimbursement beyond the 60-day limit.

• Use this template to prepare an expense report summarizing all expenses for which you are seeking reimbursement.  File soc_travel_reimb_form_rev_092822.xlsx 26.01 KB
• If you combined personal and business travel, you will need to provide a receipt for the purchased flight, a quote for the comparable flights (created at the time of purchase), and ASC cost comparison form
• Email the report and the receipts to the appropriate administrative staff: Brandon Moore (.4566)

The school’s administrative staff will submit the reimbursement requests through Workday on faculty/staffs’ behalf.

Screenshots of a sample request

Top section

Spend Authorization Lines

Attachments

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Ohio State Travel Assistance

Staying healthy while traveling and getting care when far from home are a part of the total rewards of working at Ohio State. Any individual enrolled in one of the university-sponsored medical plans automatically has access to Ohio State Travel Assistance services as described below.

NOTE : For faculty and staff traveling internationally without students the Office of Enterprise Risk Management has purchased a separate business travel international medical insurance policy. See more information on this policy .

Services 100 miles or more from home

Services are provided by Redpoint. Redpoint is a Travel Assistance Company and cannot advise on your health benefits or if facilities are in or out-of-network.

24-hour Access to Medical Professionals

When you contact Redpoint, you will receive direct and immediate access to medical and security experts. Operating with medical advisory support from world-class physicians, Redpoint delivers services and features from basic to unique emergency travel services.

Additional Services Include (but are not limited to):

• Medical professional locator
• Telephonic interpretation services
• Medical evacuation
• Coordinate but not pay for pre-hospital transportation to the nearest appropriate medical center
• Medically necessary repatriation
• Mortal remains repatriation
• Assistance recovering lost or stolen luggage, medications, eyeglasses, wallets or other important documents
• ID theft assistance while traveling
• Dental, legal and bail bond referrals
• Emergency message relay and counseling
• Online pre-trip resources; security and crime alerts, political instability alerts, passport and visa information

What to take with you when traveling

• Medical/prescription identification card, so that a doctor or hospital can verify your medical coverage. Note: Medical care providers are not required to accept your insurance coverage and generally do not outside the United States.
• Extra eyewear, if you wear corrective lenses, take two sets of glasses or contacts with you if possible.
• Prescription medication, if you are taking prescription drugs, be sure to have enough to last for the entire trip. If you are enrolled in Ohio State faculty and staff medical/prescription drug coverage and need an authorization to obtain an extra refill before traveling, contact OSU Health Plan at (614) 292-4700 or 800-678-6269.

Be aware of your responsibilities

• You are responsible for any out-of-pocket expenses such as deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance in accordance with your medical plan provisions.
• If you are required to pay for services, request an itemized bill or receipt that describes the services provided.
• If an out-of-network provider does not submit your claim to Luminare Health directly, you must submit the itemized bill and/or completed Luminare Health Insurance Claim Form to Luminare Health yourself. The address for claims submission is on your medical ID card. Forms may also be obtained by calling Luminare Health or by calling HR Connection at (614) 247-myHR (6947).

For a complete list of all available Redpoint services and resources visit LifeBenefits.com/travel .  This is intended to be an overview. Refer to the Plan Document for complete information. In the event the information on these pages differs from the Plan Document, the Plan Document will govern.

Benefit Administrator Redpoint (614) 292-4700 or (800) 678-6269, option #6 Travel services must be at least 100 miles from home.

HR Connection hrconnection.osu.edu (614) 247-myHR (6947) (614) 292-7813 (Fax) [email protected]

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Ecm non-worker travel expenses, breadcrumb menu.

External Committee Member (ECM) Non-Employee Reimbursement

An External Committee Member (ECM) must be created to initiate a spend authorization for individual (non-employee/guest) travel or group travel. The External Committee Member (ECM) will be used to reconcile or reimburse expenses in the Expense Report. Create an ECM for an individual or for a group. Office Associates will have the data access to be able to enter an ECM. Reach out to the Operations team if your access needs updated

Purpose of ECM: Establish Spend Authorization for a non-employee or guest

Establish reimbursement payment for a non-employee or guest. Any payment made to an ECM will be in the form of the check (no direct deposit is available).

Purpose of Group ECM: Establish Spend Authorization for a Group Travel (10+ travelers with same itinerary) and to permit reconciliation of Group expenses made with a PCard. Group ECMs should not be recycled for multiple trip usage. The Group ECM should be unique to the specific Group Trip, destination, and timeframe. 

NOTE: Requires the Expense Data Entry Specialist role to request ECM and enter ECM expenses. No vendor setup form needed.

No. 16 Buckeyes Travel for Matches at Iowa and Nebraska

4/10/2024 3:40:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Ohio State enters the weekend 6-1 in B1G play

• The Buckeyes are 16th in the ITA team rankings this week. The squad has been in the Top 16 all spring, reaching a season-high No. 7 Feb. 20.
• In the most recent singles rankings, Irina Cantos Siemers is No. 15, with Luciana Perry No. 47 and Sydni Ratliff No. 113.
• In doubles, Ohio State has four duos in the rankings: No. 25 Perry/Ratliff, No. 31 Perry/Cantos Siemers, No. 66 Teah Chavez /Cantos Siemers and No. 80 Audrey Spencer /Perry.
• The Buckeyes are 28-23 all-time vs. Iowa, with wins in the last 10 matches.
• Last season, Ohio State posted a 4-0 win over the Hawkeyes April 9, 2023 in Columbus.
• The last match on the Hawkeyes' courts was a 6-1 Buckeye victory March 18, 2022.
• Iowa, ranked 61st this week, is 9-9 on the year, with a 4-3 conference record. The team has B1G wins over Indiana, Nebraska, Illinois and Rutgers and losses to Northwestern, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
• The Buckeyes have an all-time mark of 11-7 vs. Nebraska, with a 9-3 record since the Huskers joined the Big Ten.
• In 2023, Ohio State downed Nebraska 4-0 April 7 in Columbus. The previous three matches were all in Lincoln, with the last a 4-3 Buckeye victory March 20, 2022.
• Nebraska is 10-8 overall on the year and has a 1-6 B1G record. The Huskers will host Penn State Friday before the match vs. the Buckeyes Sunday. In league play, Nebraska defeated Minnesota, with losses to Maryland, Iowa, Northwestern, Illinois, Wisconsin and Purdue.
• Ohio State enters the weekend 13-6 on the year and is 6-1 in B1G play. The squad has won its last six matches, all league contests. The Buckeyes played one match last week, downing Penn State 7-0 April 3.
• Four of the Buckeyes' last five wins have been shutouts and the squad has eight shutout wins on the year.
• Irina Cantos Siemers and Shelly Bereznyak share the team lead with 11 singles wins in dual play, followed by Audrey Spencer with eight dual match victories. Luciana Perry and Sydni Ratliff have each posted seven wins this spring.  
• Bereznyak has won her last 11 completed matches, with all 11 wins in straight sets.
• The Buckeyes are 11-5 on court one this spring, with an 11-3 record on court five. Ohio State has picked up nine wins on courts three and six, with seven victories from courts two and four.
• In doubles, court one is 10-4, with court two 8-5 and court three 6-6. Ohio State has won the doubles point 12 times.
• Cantos Siemers broke the Buckeyes' all-time singles wins record in the match vs. UCLA Feb. 4. She now has 119 total singles wins and moved into eighth place in career doubles victories with 91.
• Cantos Siemers' 210 combined singles/doubles wins are second all-time behind Miho Kowase (2014-17), who had 213.
• Melissa Schaub , in her 12th year as head coach of the Buckeyes, is 233-78 in her career. She broke the program record for all-time coaching wins with a victory over UCLA Feb. 4.
• The regular season ends with home matches against Northwestern at 4 p.m. April 19 and Illinois at noon April 21 on Senior Day. 
• Admission and parking are free for all regular season matches in the Ty Tucker Tennis Center and Auer Tennis Complex.

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If my business travel expenses will be covered by a third party (e.g., host institution), do i still need an approved spend authorization before i travel.

A Spend Authorization is required for all business travel that is 45 miles or more from the traveler's headquarters to document for duty of care purposes.  When the business travel is financially supported by a third party, the Spend Authorization must include each expense line for anticipated expenses with appropriate expense item type (e.g., airfare) and entered with the amount of $0.01, along with comments in the memo field indicating expenses paid by third party name.

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2024 solar eclipse: 'New' path of totality map reveals Ohio will see less of the solar eclipse

Editor's note: This story has been updated to note NASA does not plan to change its calculations for the eclipse.

A total solar eclipse will cross North American skies on April 8, and Ohio residents will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view it. 

But now, fewer Ohioans will experience 100% darkness during the 2024 solar eclipse.

More: 'Don't wear your eclipse glasses while driving': Ohio officials share solar eclipse tips

That's because, despite modern technology, the sun's radius is difficult to measure. New data shows that the sun is a tad bigger than previously thought. These new calculations have slightly shifted the solar eclipse's path of totality – just a week before the event.

Expert John Irwin has recently published a new map with updated lines for the April 8 solar eclipse,  Forbes reported . The sun's morphing size and changes in the moon's surface mean no two eclipses are the same, but NASA's projections for the 2024 eclipse aren't changing.

Solar eclipse map: Updated path of totality in Ohio

The red lines shown below represent the original path of totality, while the orange lines show the path updated with the new data – which predicts a narrower path of totality for Ohio.

Zoom in on Ohio to see if you'll be inside the path of totality during the eclipse on April 8.

The path of totality will fall over Dublin, just a few miles north of Columbus

Ohio will get a slightly narrower path of totality by nearly a half mile on each side of the path, according to the new calculation. That shifts the fullest effects of the eclipse away from two of the state's largest cities.

Columbus remains outside the path of totality, but a few suburbs north of the city land on the path to experience complete darkness. Dublin still falls inside the path of totality, but nearby areas won't experience 100% darkness.

Riverlea now falls outside the path of totality, as does downtown Westerville, though the Otterbein University campus will straddle the path of totality.

On I-270, the exit at Cemetery Road was once inside the path of totality, but now sits just outside of it, based on the new data. 

The eclipse will shift slightly further away from Cincinnati

The new path of totality moves the fullest eclipse experience away from downtown Cincinnati, just as it does for Columbus.

In Liberty Township, for example, St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish sat inside the path of totality while nearby Center Pointe Christian Church was on the other side. Now, both fall outside the path of totality.

Downtown Canton is also further away from the full eclipse experience

Downtown Canton was never projected to be inside the path of totality, but the new data projects complete darkness to fall further away from the city. However, North Canton remains inside the zone set to experience 100% darkness.

Massillon sat comfortably inside the path of totality, but the new projections show the eclipse's shadow falling north of downtown.

Akron, Cleveland, Dayton, Toledo, other Ohio cities remain the path of totality

The new projections for the path of totality won't change the eclipse experience much for viewers close to the other big cities.

Akron, Cleveland, Dayton and Toledo will enjoy the full eclipse experience. So too will Ashland, Bucyrus, Mansfield, Marion and Sandusky.

What NASA says about the 'new' eclipse path of totality map

In speaking with the Detroit Free Press , NASA spokesman Tiernan Doyle acknowledged that even though the space agency is sticking with its original eclipse outlook in 2024, it aims to refine its eclipse predictions in the future by potentially taking into account the "topography of both the moon and the Earth."

Doyle added that there may be "a tiny but real uncertainty about the size of the sun," which could "yield an eclipse path that is slightly narrower."

And, he said, "uncertainty in the Earth’s rotation can also affect eclipse predictions on this level. Traveling toward the center of the path of totality – even a mile or two – will quickly increase the length of totality that people can see."

Whether or not the new path of totality is the correct one or the original prediction holds true, the overall difference would be minimal. As Doyle told the Free Press, "(It) would only affect cities on the very edge of the path of totality, where blanket predictions are difficult regardless – a few city blocks one way or the other could mean 20, 10, or zero seconds of totality."

Austin American-Statesman reporter Alexis Simmerman and Detroit Free Press reporter Frank Witsil contributed to this report .

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Plan business travel.

Ohio State is committed to becoming a preeminent global university – with faculty, staff and students engaged in teaching, learning and discovery throughout the U.S. and around the world.  The university's policies and procedures for business travel enable Ohio State to effectively comply with federal and state regulations.

The university will initiate payment for reasonable and necessary business expenses. A necessary expense is one for which there exists a clear business purpose and is within university policy limitations. The business purpose must support or advance the goals, objectives and mission of the university, and adequately describe the expense as a necessary, reasonable and appropriate business expense for the university.

Know before you go

Before you travel on behalf of the university, review the rules and resources:

Policy  &  FAQ  – Know and understand the rules (policies and procedures) before travel arrangements are made

International Travel Restrictions & Warnings  – Review State Department and Ohio State restrictions and warnings

Traveler Quick Tips  – quick guide to Ohio State business travel

Wireless Security  – Securely connect to Wifi while traveling, using the Eduroam Network.

Travel Planning Guide

Before You Depart : Planning, policy, pre-departure checklist and what to take with you

Travel Expenses : Transportation, lodging, meals and miscellaneous expenses

Health : Immunizations, health concerns, m edical Insurance, m edical emergencies

Safety : Advisories, export control, legal issues, safety guidelines

Money : ATM, debit and credit cards; university PCard; cash and traveler's checks; how to exchange money

Communication : Phone, email, emergency contacts

When You Return : Post-trip checklist, receipts and reimbursements  

NOTE:   The Travel Planning Guide is a general resource and may not be inclusive of all considerations necessary for planning your business travel.  Consult your Service Center, Fiscal Office or other university-related travel resources to ensure all policies and basic requirements are considered. 

Planning Guide Topics

Live eclipse traffic: Heavy traffic building in central Ohio as travelers return south

Traffic along north and west Columbus remains heavy at 6 p.m. Monday as motorists make their way home from viewing the solar eclipse.

The heaviest traffic is U.S. 33 eastbound between Dublin and Marysville, and there are backups along southbound Interstate 71 north of Columbus and on I-70 west of the city, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT).

Solar Eclipse 2024 live updates: Ohio traffic begins to slow; several state parks already at capacity

Here's what to know as travelers return following the eclipse:

Live traffic updates: traffic building, crash on U.S. 33 as travelers return south

The slowest travel at 6 p.m. is U.S. 33 between Marysville and Dublin as travelers make their way back to Columbus following the eclipse, according to ODOT.

A crash that blocked an eastbound lane of U.S. 33 in Marysville also was slowing traffic.

Travelers can expect up to a 30-minute delay between Marysville and Dublin along 33, according to ODOT.

Traffic is heavy elsewhere in the region, including the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 west of Columbus and the southbound lanes of I-71 north of I-270. Both areas reported 10-minute delays.

Separately, a disabled vehicle caused backups in the eastbound lanes of I-270 on the South Side, causing delays of about 15 minutes.

There was also a crash that closed the shoulders on I-270 south of Roberts Road that slowed traffic.

ODOT to eclipse travelers: Brace for slow return home

While the pace of traffic to the eclipse has been slow to build, ODOT spokesperson Matt Bruning urged people to prepare for a long return time as everyone who headed to the path of totality tries to get home.

“Patience will be key for sure, if you can stay put the longer you can after the event the easier it will be,” Bruning said. “History is a teacher, and it teaches that is not what happens, everyone leaves and wants to get home at the same time.”

North central Ohio saw slowdowns on routes to eclipse

In addition to heavy traffic on U.S. 33, ODOT's traffic cameras also showed heavy traffic on Ohio 315 near the Franklin-Delaware County line and the Ohio 315 and U.S. 23 interchange. The two left lanes of I-270 west were also closed at State Route 315 south due to a crash.

Traffic along Interstate 71 in Delaware County was also heavy near Alum Creek State Park.

Roadways in Powell near the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium were also seeing increased traffic and slowdowns.

On the East Side of Columbus, a ramp from Interstate 670 to U.S. 62 was closed in both directions due to a crash, but is now reopened.

How to check live traffic, see road cameras in Ohio

The ODOT OHGO website has live traffic updates, as well as access to dozens of traffic cameras throughout the state to make informed traveling decisions before heading out.

ODOT: Do not watch eclipse from side of highway

Bruning also said to be mindful of ODOT and state law enforcement workers, and said it was not legal for drivers to stop on the highway to watch the eclipse.

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Is Jamaica safe? State Department advisory raises concerns; here’s what to know

• Updated: Apr. 11, 2024, 10:21 a.m. |
• Published: Apr. 11, 2024, 7:59 a.m.

Bamboo Avenue, near YS Falls in southern Jamaica. Numerous American travelers to Jamaica say they're reluctant to leave their resorts because of the State Department's updated travel advisory. Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com

• Susan Glaser, cleveland.com

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica – Two months before my planned trip to Jamaica, the U.S. State Department advised Americans to “reconsider travel” to the popular Caribbean nation.

I considered their advice and I went anyway.

It did give me pause, however, and prompted me to make a few adjustments to the trip.

First, I bought travel insurance for this trip – which I might have done anyway, but the travel advisory confirmed its necessity. Second, I employed a local guide to show me around, rather than exploring on my own. Again, I might have done this anyway, but the travel advisory made it a priority.

The result: I had a great trip, did everything I wanted (and more) and never felt unsafe (well, except perhaps on some of those narrow, windy inland roads alongside some crazy local drivers).

I met plenty of American travelers, however, who were pretty spooked about the updated advisory. Some said they considered canceling their trips. Others said they didn’t feel comfortable venturing from their resorts.

Business owners on the island told me they were already feeling the effects of the advisory.

“Even people who are coming aren’t leaving the resorts,” said Simon Browne, whose family owns YS Falls, a popular waterfall and swimming area on the south side of Jamaica. “It’s been a quiet March.”

Milton Williams, who cooks jerk chicken and other delights along the highway between Montego Bay and Negril, was also feeling the loss of business.

“Lots of people have canceled their vacations,” he told me, as I feasted on his chicken.

I was glad I wasn’t one of them.

What the State Department said

The State Department uses a four-point scale to assess the safety of travel to every country in the world. Level 1 is the safest (“exercise normal precautions”) and Level 4 is the most dangerous (“do not travel”).

In March 2022, Jamaica was elevated from Level 2 (“exercise increased caution”) to Level 3 (“reconsider travel”).

In January, the State Department updated its advisory with additional details about areas of concern, citing specifically crime and medical services in the country.

A spokeswoman for the State Department called the update “routine” and said there was no specific incident that spurred the advisory. She said the crime information remains substantively unchanged from the previous advisory.

Routine or not, the media reported the update as major news, sparking concern about travel to the country during the busy winter and spring vacation season.

Indeed, the language included in the advisory is enough to give any traveler pause. “Violent crimes, such as home invasions, armed robberies, sexual assaults, and homicides, are common,” it reads. “Sexual assaults occur frequently, including at all-inclusive resorts.”

It continues, “Local police often do not respond effectively to serious criminal incidents. When arrests are made, cases are infrequently prosecuted to a conclusive sentence. Families of U.S. citizens killed in accidents or homicides frequently wait a year or more for final death certificates to be issued by Jamaican authorities. The homicide rate reported by the Government of Jamaica has for several years been among the highest in the Western Hemisphere.”

It goes on to list specific geographic areas of concern, and strongly encourages travelers to obtain traveler’s insurance, including medical evacuation insurance, before traveling to Jamaica.

In response to the advisory, the Jamaican Tourist Board noted that crime involving visitors “remains extremely low at 0.01%,” adding, “Jamaica has recorded its lowest crime rate in 24 years in 2023 and this downward trajectory has continued in 2024.”

It’s worth noting that other countries that issue travel advisories to their citizens have not change their guidance on Jamaica in recent years.

Canada, for example, has a similar four-point system for assessing danger. Jamaica is a level 2 (“exercise a high degree of caution”), which is the same as for the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago and other Caribbean nations.

Both the United States and Canada cite Jamaica’s high crime rate as among the reasons for concern.

Indeed, Jamaica does have one of the highest murder rates in the world. But both locals and security experts point out that violence in Jamaica is almost never targeted at tourists.

“Jamaicans often told me – Jamaica is only dangerous for Jamaicans,” said Paul Doucet, security director at International SOS , a private health and security service firm.

Doucet visited Jamaica in February, shortly after the State Department updated its advisory, to see for himself whether anything had changed in Jamaica to warrant increased concern.

His conclusion: “It’s fine to go to Jamaica with an understanding of the areas to avoid.”

He added, “We haven’t changed our advice. We haven’t seen any reason to change our advice.”

Doucet acknowledged the country’s high crime rate, but said everyone – from the government to gang members – understands it’s not smart to target tourists, who contributed $4.3 billion to the nation’s economy in 2023.

“No one has an interest in seeing tourism decline,” said Doucet.

He also said that the country’s high homicide rate probably isn’t the best statistic for concerned travelers to worry about. Sexual assaults, carjackings and short-term kidnappings (which he noted are not a problem in Jamaica) are typically a bigger concern for tourists on vacation.

“There’s actually been an improvement in crime in Jamaica,” he said, although he noted that the numbers are subject to underreporting.

Lee Weinstock, a Shaker Heights native who runs a tourism business in Montego Bay, said he has been a victim of crime twice in Jamaica in more than 30 years. His apartment was broken into once, as was his car.

He speculates that there might be a political motivation for the State Department advisory – that it’s a way for the U.S. government to register its discontent with increasing Chinese investment in Jamaica, or disapproval of Jamaica’s anti-LGBTQ laws and policies.

The spokeswoman for the State Department denied that there were political reasons for the update. “This analysis is undertaken without regard to bilateral political or economic considerations,” she said.

She provided this explanation about the process: “Travel Advisories are based on a comprehensive and objective review of safety and security conditions, and ongoing developments that could affect the lives and interests of U.S. citizens abroad. We consider many factors to determine the Travel Advisory level for each country, including crime, terrorist activity, civil unrest, kidnapping or hostage taking, health risks, natural disasters/weather, and current events. The information we use to formulate Travel Advisories is collected from a range of sources, such as crime statistics and other publicly-available information, and information gathered from U.S. government sources, including assessments by our embassies and consulates abroad.”

I asked Doucet if the safety I felt in Jamaica was a good gauge of how safe I actually was.

“If you’re traveling around and didn’t go into areas you shouldn’t go, you probably were safe,” he said.

He noted that he spent some time in downtown Montego Bay – not an area where most tourists visit – and didn’t feel particularly safe.

“It was crowded,” he said. “There were a lot people who looked like they didn’t have enough to do.”

Common sense, he said, goes a long way in Jamaica and elsewhere.

“Don’t flash around money,” he said. “Don’t hold three iPhones in your hands.”

Being cautious, however, doesn’t mean being fearful.

Nicole Tutzer from Bainbridge Township traveled to Jamaica last month with her 18-year-old daughter Annika. “They told us – don’t leave the resort by yourself,” said Tutzer, who was staying at the resort next to mine in Montego Bay.

She and her daughter walked across the street to buy water shoes and bug spray and felt perfectly safe.

I, too, left my resort every day – both on foot and with licensed drivers – and also never felt remotely unsafe.

Needless to say, I didn’t visit the areas that were outlined in the State Department advisory, which are well known to locals as areas to avoid.

Honestly, there are plenty of areas in and around Cleveland that I know to avoid, particularly at night and when I’m alone. It seems obvious to use that same commonsense approach when I travel.

Safety in Jamaica

In addition to recommending travel insurance, the State Department offers these suggestions to Americans traveling to Jamaica:

* Avoid walking or driving at night.

* Avoid public buses.

* Do not physically resist any robbery attempt.

* Be aware of your surroundings and keep a low profile.

* Do not attempt to bring firearms or ammunition into the country.

* Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.

Information: travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/jamaica-travel-advisory.html

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