Travel to Cuba made easier for US tourists
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SWIFTLY expanding trade ties with Cuba, the United States government yesterday opened the door to easier travel and a wide range of new export opportunities with the communist country, punching the biggest hole to date in a half-century-old embargo.
Less than a month after the Cold War foes agreed to end their enmity, US Commerce and Treasury departments unveiled new rules on Thursday permitting citizens to visit Cuba without special permits.
Most US travelers still will be required to go on supervised trips, but now virtually any US firm or organization can offer such trips without the paperwork and inspections that discouraged past expansion of travel to Cuba. Some tour operators, already seeing unprecedented interest in legal travel to Cuba, expect tourists to ignore the restrictions.
American companies also now will be permitted to export telephones, computers and Internet technology, and to send supplies to private Cuban firms.
The changes are the latest step in President Obama’s plan to rebuild relations with Cuba after a history marred by suspicion, espionage and conflict. The new rules came three days after US officials confirmed the release of 53 political prisoners Cuba had pledged to free.
The US is now “one step closer to replacing out-of-date policies,” US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said on Thursday.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the new rules “immediately enable the American people to provide more resources to empower the Cuban population to become less dependent upon the state-driven economy.”
They also allow US citizens to start bringing home small amounts of Cuban cigars, long adored by aficionados but banned under US law. The limit is US$100 for alcohol and tobacco products and US$400 in total goods.
Only Congress can fully end the 54-year embargo. Obama said last month he would soften the restrictions, arguing that “these 50 years have shown that isolation has not worked.”
The few US companies facilitating travel to Cuba say inquiries have exploded since December and American visits are expected to surge this year from about 90,000 annually.
“We’re hiring more people. We’ve secured more hotel rooms and assets in Cuba to provide additional travel,” said Tom Popper, president of New York-based insightCuba.
Commercial flights between the two nations are still some time away. Before airlines offer routine services from one country to another, the two governments must agree on the terms in a treaty.
Such a deal did exist between the US and Cuba in the 1950s. But on Thursday afternoon the US Transportation Department posted a notice saying the two nations need to start fresh.
“The US government will engage with the government of Cuba to assess our aviation relations and establish a bilateral basis for further expansion of air services,” the notice said.
Hotels in Havana fall short of world standards, and those with better food and service are always fully booked.
“US tourists are really demanding,” said Maikel Gonzalez, a hotel receptionist in Havana. “How do I explain to one that the taxi didn’t come because it doesn’t have tires or that there’s no water in the rooms?”
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