MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) - President Donald Trump’s new executive order could bring more restrictive rules for those traveling to and from Cuba.
In 2016, more than 600,000 Americans traveled to Cuba, but the fear now is that this change will discourage many from traveling to the island.
Many Cuban-Americans who were at Miami International Airport before they embarked on their flight to Cuba expressed their thoughts on the order, Friday. For many of them, the order will not change anything because they are going to visit family and have a place to stay.
Planes and ships will still fly and cruise between the United States and Cuba, but whether you can visit depends on who you are and where you are going.
“We just need to educate the consumer more,” said Gus Machado, manager of Brickell Travel. “I’m just scared they’re going to be scared to go over there.”
Cuban-Americans will still be allowed to visit their loved ones, but those without relatives on the island will have a tougher time getting through.
“We will enforce the ban on tourism,” Trump said Friday during his announcement.
“I think it’s great,” said Dayve Oliver, who is traveling to visit family in Cuba. “We have to follow the law, and the law says that American citizens cannot be tourists in Cuba, so if they are going as a tourist, masking their travel intentions with other things, then we are in trouble.”
While regular tourism for Americans will remain banned, the Obama Administration loosened the rules and allowed Americans to be on the honor system.
With Trump’s policy, those planning to travel alone will not be allowed to unless it’s for academic purposes. Travel must be in a guided group to be permitted for educational purposes and also designed to provide meaningful interaction between U.S. travelers and the Cuban people.
Be sure to save your receipts and documents from your visit for the next five years because the U.S. government could be scrutinizing your group’s activities more closely.
Eliel Valero, who’s also traveling to Cuba, said he doesn’t think it will deter people. “They want to travel. It’s open,” he said. “They’ll start travel.”
Machado said in the future, they’ll have to be careful not to offer accommodations tied to the Cuban government due to the increased restrictions. “Now, we have to be careful what hotels we will be able to offer,” he said. “Before, we could offer all hotels.”
Machado recently booked a trip for 120 American doctors who will be attending a conference in Cuba with local doctors, in March 2018, but he’s hoping the policy won’t spook them. “I hope the doctors don’t get nervous now and they cancel the trip on me because it will be nice for doctors to see exactly how the medicine over there is working,” he said, “and the idea was for other doctors over there to learn.”
The good news is if you’ve already made your travel plans, you are OK to go to Cuba. The only requirement is you must have already made at least one travel-related transaction, such as purchasing a flight or booking a hotel prior to the president’s announcement, Friday.
In a statement, the Carnival Corporation said, “Carnival Corporation is pleased that the policy changes announced by the Trump Administration will allow our ships to continue to sail to Cuba. We will review the extent of the tightening of the travel rules, but our guests have already been traveling under the 12 approved forms of travel to Cuba since we first undertook our historic first cruise to Cuba, more than a year ago.”
American Airlines also released a statement that said, “As a global airline, American is committed to continuing to operate service to Cuba. We will review the executive order to understand any potential impacts to our customers or our current service.”
If you have an interest to visit Cuba, advisors said it’s best to be informed and educate yourself. To learn more about the policy, go to: https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/cuba_faqs_20170616.pdf
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