With winter in full swing, many across the Prairies are booking and going on their winter getaways. Jamaica is a popular spot for many, but those who are thinking about booking a trip need to be aware of some recent travel advisories for the island.

Travel Canada issued an advisory to Canadians last week, warning of the state of emergency declared in St. James Parish and other regions, due to the increase in violence and thefts.

Discover Moose Jaw's Hayley Hart is in Jamaica and tells us what the situation is like down there.

"After about 3 or 4 days we started to notice an increased amount of security around the resort, and there’s security posted on almost every corner. A lot of security walking around tourist attractions of course, so if you go off the resort anywhere to see anything or go shopping, you typically will see someone, an armed guard, or some kind of security put there to keep tourists safe."

She tells us how far she is from St. James Parish.

"It's actually a short drive. From what I can tell we are about 15 minutes from Montego Bay. We're in a gated community with lots of security, so we are definitely safe here."

The region of St. James Parish, which includes Montego Bay, reported 1616 murders last year, with another 40 already in 2018.