Cuba, as a destination, continues to be a hot topic, and the source of many important questions.  In an effort to keep our clients as up-to-date as possible on all things Cuba, we would like to take this opportunity to recap the rules and regulations currently in place, and to point out a few small changes that have recently occurred with US-Cuba relations.

The United States Embargo against Cuba remains in effect, which simply means that leisure travel to Cuba is illegal for US citizens.  Most US citizens wishing to visit Cuba must structure their itinerary so that it qualifies under the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s “People-to-People” designation.  In other words, this means that the chief purpose of a travel itinerary is to have meaningful interaction with the Cuban people.

Most travel to Cuba is done through licensed tour operators, who are best equipped to handle all the requisite paperwork and visas and who have access to opportunities that are not only worthwhile to the traveler, but that also comply with the “People-to-People” designation of the itinerary as a whole.

Two recent changes, which have garnered media attention recently, include the ability for an individual to travel to Cuba unaccompanied, provided their itinerary is structured so that it still falls under the “People-to-People” designation.  Travelers interested in visiting Cuba should keep in mind that while it is now possible to travel by yourself, and not be at the mercy of a group tour, it is the traveler’s responsibility to ensure that all paperwork is executed properly, and that all sightseeing and activities they wish to engage in are authorized by the countries respective governments.  This is of great importance, and holds legal ramifications for the traveler if everything is not in compliance with the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s rules and regulations.

A second minor change is the ability for travelers to visit the beaches of Cuba under the “People-to-People” designation.  Until recently, it was argued that US citizens could not engage in substantive dialogue and activity with the citizens of Cuba while at a beach destination.  Tour operators are taking this development into account when planning their “People-to-People” itineraries.

The implementation of commercial flights from the United States to Cuba will begin in the fall of 2016.  While this will have no bearing on the Embargo, or the travel restrictions while in Cuba, it will help to alleviate a shortage of flights to this destination, and should make at least one component of an itinerary to Cuba a bit easier to secure.

Cuba is still a long ways off from being able to fully handle the influx of visitors from the United States in a manner consistent with Americans’ expectations.  No matter how quickly the US government works to ease tensions and restrictions, the infrastructure in Cuba will take much longer to catch up.  It is still strongly advised to use a preferred tour operator for any travel to Cuba.

If you are interested in travel to Cuba, please contact your FROSCH travel consultant to begin the planning process.