When the gates open and we are all legally allowed to freely travel down to Cuba, I want to be one of the first to make the trip. And it seems we may be headed in the right direction though in seriously baby steps. According to Jaunted, more and more airports will be offering flights to Havana including flights for church groups and school groups. Charter flights, which had previously been limited to Miami, New York, and Los Angeles, will be allowed from all airports with proper US customs. Additionally, (and unrelated) Americans will be allowed to send $500 per month to Cuban citizens that are not in the Castro Administration or members of the Communist Party.
Last year Orbitz tried to get the travel party started with the Open Cuba online petition but even still, we're not there yet.
Americans Are Ready
A poll by CNN/Opinion Research Corp. of 1,023 Americans found 64 percent favored lifting the travel ban, according to USA Today. Among the strongest supporters of eliminating the Cuban travel ban is the American Society of Travel Agents.
Colin Tooze, ASTA's vice president of government affairs, had this to say:
"The appeal is tremendousit's a new destination to sell. It's a shot in the arm for the travel industry and they're excited." And he says many American tourists are eager: "There's already a lot of pent-up demand."
Describing Cuba as unlike any other Caribbean island would be an understatement. From 1950's style American Buicks to old men playing Dominos, it has a culture all its own. Havana illustrates Spanish colonial architecture at its best. The water is crystal blue with cobbled streets, cigar factories, and music clubs dotting the island. Cubans speak Spanish and it's difficult, though not impossible, to get along if you don't speak the language.
The island is just 90 miles south of Key West though it's a different world entirely. It has a population of 11.3 million living on a 780 mile long island. And there is already some travel infrastructure in place from European and Canadian travel.
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