MONTREAL — Canadians are rethinking plans to visit parts of the Caribbean in the wake of military action and threats from the United States.
Travel agencies say some clients are steering clear of Aruba and Curacao, which sit off the coast of Venezuela, where the U.S. launched a strike and captured its president about two weeks ago.
Flight Centre Travel Group Canada managing director Chris Lynes says vacationers are changing their bookings from those locations as well as Cuba, which U.S. President Donald Trump has also threatened, to countries such as Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.
Other travellers have put their Caribbean trips on hold or cancelled them outright.
Social media travel groups abound with questions over the safety or ease of vacationing near Venezuela or in a Cuba plagued by shortages of food, fuel and medication — a situation some fear could deteriorate.
However, WestJet, Air Transat and Porter Airlines say it's business as usual, while Air Canada issued a temporary travel advisory for Venezuela and the surrounding regions allowing for changes to flights into 17 airports.
The attack on Venezuela on Jan. 3 marked the culmination of months of mounting pressure by the White House, which saw the interception of oil tankers off its coast and missile strikes on alleged drug boats.