Travelers Can Still Visit Cuba, Here's How

Image: PHOTO: Vintage classic American car in Havana, Cuba. (photo via Delpixart/iStock Editorial/Getty Images Plus)

by Janeen Christoff
Last updated: 12:56 PM ET, Wed June 5, 2019

While people-to-people exchanges, as defined by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), have officially come to an end, travel to Cuba is still a possibility.

The United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) laid out the new policy in a statement from president and CEO Terry Dale on June 4, 2019.

The new amendment removes the authorization for group people-to-people educational travel, which previously allowed Americans the ability to travel to Cuba with a licensed tour operator on an approved program.

Effective June 5, 2019, licensed tour operators will no longer be permitted to introduce and operate new programs to Cuba. Cruise lines and airlines will no longer be able to accept bookings for group people-to-people travel for educational purposes.

"However, it is important to note that OFAC's regulatory changes include a "grandfathering" provision. The provision allows previously authorized group people-to-people educational travel to continue," Dale said in the statement.

Dale also makes clear that USTOA will continue to stand for open borders.

"Since its inception more than 40 years ago, the USTOA has supported an open borders policy and will continue to advocate for the growth of the travel and tourism industry inside and outside of the United States," Dale said. "These new regulations are counter to USTOA's core belief in freedom of travel for Americans. The industry will adjust how it does business under the new rules, and we will continue to clarify and comply. However, USTOA will be on the front lines of the industry advocating that the CACR be amended to re-allow group people-to-people educational travel, the most widely used and robust category of travel amongst the former twelve. USTOA will be voicing our stance on these announcements at the upcoming USTOA 2019 Congressional Caucus."

While USTOA put out a statement, tour operators have remained cautious in their assessments of the new policies.

Abercrombie & Kent put out a statement noting that they were still looking into the situation:

"We are aware of the developments regarding US-Cuba travel and expect further clarification from the U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control," read the statement. "It is our understanding that guests with confirmed bookings made prior to June 5, 2019, will still be allowed to travel, so Abercrombie & Kent expects to operate our Fall 2019 departures as scheduled."

While travelers hang in the balance, not knowing what will become of their vacations, there is still hope for those who want to travel to Cuba as Central Holidays noted.

"We are disheartened to learn that the U.S. Government has moved forward with even more stringent restrictions on travel to Cuba. Travel is a hugely important part of the human experience," said a statement from the tour operator. "Exploring new countries and diverse cultures, being awed by amazing sights and tasting different cuisines opens our minds and our hearts. We are beyond disappointed that the government has chosen to limit our travel interactions with this beautiful country.

"However, while the United States Treasury Department has announced this morning that it is removing the authorization for people-to-people group educational travel to Cuba, there are other categories still valid for travel, including 'Support for the Cuban People (SCP)'. It is under this authorization that we have been sending passengers to Cuba this year, with individuals staying at Casas Particulares (private homes) and hotels. Central Holidays will continue to market and sell Cuba according to the rules and regulations of the Office of Foreign Assets Control."

Anthony Cheng, COO of GoLatin Travel, has also made similar conclusions.

"All of us in the industry pored through every line of the regulations and found that 'loophole,'" Cheng noted.

GoLatin Travel also has been only operating SCP journeys.

"Honestly for us, our programs were already changed for SCP," said Cheng. "We use only the best of the luxury boutique hotels, we handpicked the best private restaurants with lobster and steak dinners mixed in with Cuban and other cuisine and we already visited private activities like visiting artists in their home workshops. So for our programs, we don't need to change a thing."

"The big hurdle now," said Cheng, "is to let the market know they can still go. Even before this announcement, and based on the 2017 announcement, most Americans already believed Trump closed the door."

That being said, some of the advantages of the more relaxed people-to-people experiences are now no longer available for travelers to Cuba. Visitors from the U.S. cannot stay in big hotels, they can't eat at government-owned restaurants, etc. However, most of the people who are interested in visiting the country, are more desirous of cultural immersion rather than a beach holiday.

Cheng notes that, unlike in many communist countries, Cubans own their homes, and the country has allowed Airbnb to flourish, meaning that those traveling to Cuba can still have a high-end experience.

"Some Cubans own mansions with 12 rooms that are now 12-room luxury boutique hotels with a full staff," he said. "They are amazing and much better than staying at a big, soulless hotel."

GoLatin Travel also opens the door for a variety of unique cultural activities.

"We visit baseball stadiums with coaches that train athletes on the side to make more income," said Cheng. "We see dance studios where teachers do private lessons for aspiring ballerinas. A restaurant owner talks on how they can flourish in a country with no food. We do a lot of private groups, and we can keep doing all of it."

Another tour operator, Apple Vacations, has also released a statement confirming that its Cuba programs are not affected by the regulatory changes announced by the White House on June 4, 2019.

Like other tour operators, its programs, operated by Cuba Travel Services and sold by Apple Vacations, fall under the "Support of the Cuban People" category which has not been impacted.

"There is still high demand for Cuba, and Apple Vacations will continue to offer opportunities for American travelers to interact with Cuban culture in compliance with OFAC regulations," said John Tarkowski, Apple Vacations' president.

So while the Trump Administration has definitely made travel to Cuba more confusing for both suppliers and consumers, the administration has yet to eliminate the right to visit the country-at least for now.

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