Latin America found itself in for a rude awakening before dawn on Saturday, 3rd January, as US military operatives in Venezuela infiltrated the home of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, dragging the head of government and his wife into custody following an ouster that dragged on for months.
Matters have not been helped by US President Donald Trump’s strident statement in the hours following the Maduros’ capture that the United States would run Venezuela, offering no further details as to how this would ensue but chilling the world with his declaration that he would not hesitate to put boots on the ground.
While this may seem like an issue strictly confined to the Americas, experts feel that it will have repercussions on a global scale, particularly when it comes to the economy, diplomatic relations, and certainly travel and tourism.
Travel Daily Media takes a look at the situation from the point of view of the travel sector and, in this piece, aims to point out the potential repercussions for travellers the world over.
The current situation
The Florida arm of US broadcasting network NBC reported in the early hours of Sunday, 4th January, that the Venezuela offensive significantly hampered travel, particularly for American tourists making their way home after the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Flight cancellations were noted throughout the Caribbean, as well as Central America, given how flights to and from Aruba, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands were grounded, along with those making their way to the Lesser Antilles Islands north of Venezuela.
A report from Cruise Critic dated Monday, 5th January, declared that over 48,000 passengers were stranded in Puerto Rico following the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s stand-down order for all airlines within the region.
Despite airlines waiving change fees for passengers who had to rebook their flights and US transportation secretary Sean Duffy’s assurance that things would be back to normal by Sunday morning, many travellers were still unable to return to the US on schedule.
What will this mean for the rest of the world?
With regard to the repercussions the US invasion of Venezuela will have on travel and tourism moving forward, we first need to consider the immediate effect it has on tourism within the regional level.
A report published on 5th January by global business intelligence provider iPMI Global titled Geopolitical Tensions and the Disruption of LATAM and Caribbean Global Mobility and Tourism Markets opens with the following statement:
“The geopolitical situation involving the Trump administration and Venezuela, particularly recent US military actions, has triggered a significant crisis for tourism in Venezuela and created substantial knock-on effects across the wider Caribbean and northern South America. The primary impacts are twofold: immediate, acute operational disruptions and a more persistent, damaging shift in traveller perception and safety concerns.”
For Latin and North America, the immediate repercussions were obviously the protracted departure delays for both flights and cruises, not to mention hampered operations with regard to land transportations.
It is sobering to think, however, that we may be looking at the following occurrences in the wake of the invasion over the next several weeks and even months:
- Travel and tourism safety in the region has been significantly compromised As in any region hit by geopolitical conflict, Latin America and the Caribbean will be perceived elsewhere in the globe as a highly unstable area, thus not recommended for leisure travellers. Likewise, Venezuela will find itself on a list of nations considered verboten due to political or economic instability, widespread criminality, and precarious safety;
- Numerous routes have now been deemed unstable or unreliable Another thing to consider is that much of the international travel done in Latin America is done by land. The current situation in Venezuela will mean a significant changing of routes throughout the region, as travellers, regardless of whether they’re out for business or leisure, will opt for safer, more secure routes offering minimal inconvenience and a lower chance for harassment at borders;
- Tourism-reliant economies are placed in a precarious position The cruise industry has long been aware that tourism is the lifeblood for many smaller economies within the Caribbean and Latin America. Some experts feel that cruise tourism within the region will err more on the side of caution for several months following the invasion as both cruise lines and travellers will seek safer waters and destinations. This will lead to lower earnings for several nations within the region, potentially fuelling an economic crisis; and
- The situation may turn out to be a precedent for similar situations elsewhere Now this is where things get dangerously interesting. The US’ application of pressure on the Venezuelan government has disturbing parallels in the way China has been hounding Taiwan and the Philippines by conducting military exercises in sovereign waters, the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict over Gaza, and, on an extreme level, the Russian annexation of Ukraine. While the first example has not yet had the level of impact as the Venezuelan crisis or even the latter two examples, the conflict between China and its regional neighbours has driven everyone from travel agents to individual travellers to tread carefully when moving between those three nations.
It's isn't over yet...
iPMI Global analyst Christopher Knight pointed out that this is an evolving situation and that anyone travelling in or out of the region must take the necessary precautions.
According to Knight:
"The Trump–Venezuela situation is significantly suppressing tourism in Venezuela itself and creating knock-on effects for travel in the broader Caribbean and northern South America, largely through safety perceptions, airspace disruption and travel advisories. While mainstream Caribbean and South American destinations remain open, tourists should plan cautiously, expect potential flight disruption, and stay updated on advisories as the situation evolves."
It is to be hoped that a diplomatic resolution to these conflicts may be found soon; otherwise, it becomes a game wherein nobody wins and everyone loses.
