U.S.-Cuba Ties Are Restored, But Most American Tourists Will Have To Wait
U.S.-Cuba Ties Are Restored, But Most American Tourists Will Have To Wait
A lot of companies are taking trips to the island, trying to figure out where there might be a market opportunity, points out AS/COA’s Alana Tummino.
The U.S. and Cuba have restored diplomatic relations and reopened their embassies — but it's not yet open season for American tourists hoping to visit the island. The U.S. embargo on travel and business means you still have to have a valid reason to go — and that doesn't include sitting on the beach and drinking mojitos....
If you say you are going on an educational trip, for instance, you have to have an itinerary that backs the claim up, says Alana Tummino, head of the Cuba Working Group and policy director at the Americas Society/Council of the Americas.
"You have to have a certain percentage of time in these meetings so that you are not caught drinking mojitos on the beach," she says.
Of course, the Cubans won't have beach police. They want more tourists to visit and spend money on the island. And so far, tourism does seem to be rising. Tummino says it's up to American authorities to enforce their own rules once travelers return.
She has taken several U.S. business delegations to Cuba and says she has seen a huge amount of interest from telecommunications and financial services companies ever since President Obama eased some trade restrictions in those areas in December.
"A lot of companies are taking trips to the island, trying to figure out where there might be an opportunity to try to help build out the telecommunications infrastructure or to help build up the infrastructure to use debit and credit cards on the island," Tummino says....
