Last Friday, President Obama announced the easing of travel restrictions to Cuba, essentially restoring U.S. citizens’ travel eligibility to where it stood during the Clinton era.
Rules put into place under the Bush administration had restricted family travel to only once every three years, reduced religious travel to once per year, and limited educational travel.
Under Obama’s direction to the secretaries of State, Treasury, and Homeland Security, access to the island has been restored to religious and educational visitors. That refers specifically to college faculty and students from an accredited U.S. graduate or undergraduate program, and church groups traveling to the island for missionary or charity work.
Additionally, the President’s announcement opens up more U.S. airports as eligible to service flights to Cuba.
Currently, only Los Angeles, New York and Miami have flights to Cuba, but the new rules could allow airports, such as Tampa International, to charter flights.
In 2009, the Obama administration softened restrictions on family travel to the island, allowing any “person visiting a close relative who is a national of Cuba” to travel with “no limit on the duration or frequency of travel,” according to the U.S. State Department’s page on Entry/Exit Requirements.
In that same decree, the definition of “family member” was loosened to include more than immediate family members, making more Cuban-Americans eligible for travel.
However, would-be travelers to the island might still be disappointed.
Obama’s announcement keeps the long standing trade embargo intact, so those looking to return to the U.S. with Cuban cigars and rum will have these items confiscated at customs.
Today, the Cuba’s Foreign Ministry released a statement in reaction to the announcement.
“These measures only benefit some categories of U.S. citizens and do not restore the right of every U.S. citizen to travel to Cuba, making them the only ones worldwide that cannot visit Cuba freely,” the Ministry said.
Nonetheless, the cultural exchange facilitated by religious groups and academic scholars is a step in expanding the discourse between the United States and Cuba.
Related Links on PeterGreenberg.com:
- Obama Preparing To Go Further In Easing Cuba Travel Restrictions?
- US Government Eases Cuba Travel Restrictions
- Tour Operators Report Rise in Travel Bookings to Cuba
- Americans Openly Flouting Cuba Travel Ban in Attempt to Change Law
- Travel Detective Blog: Cuba Confusion
- Tour Operators Report Rise in Travel Bookings to Cuba
- US Senate Voting on Cuba Travel Ban
By Fernando Padilla for PeterGreenberg.com.
