US Hinders Cuba Travel Program
HAVANA TIMES — The US Treasury Department is implementing new measures that impede the “People to People Program,” established under President Barack Obama in 2011 to facilitate travel between that country and Cuba.
According to the Prensa Latina news agency, new bureaucratic measures complicated the renewal of licenses issued to travel agencies last year. Likewise, application forms for the authorization to operate trips to the island increased from six pages to hundreds of pages.
The Detroit Free Press revealed that many of the trips that are announced by the various entities that sponsor trips to Cuba are on hold or have been canceled since many programs and travel agencies haven’t been able to renew their licenses.
The US newspaper cited the example of tours by Harvard Alumni, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Geographic, Cuba Insight and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which all remain on hold.
It is terrible that President Obama is stalling on the renewal of people-to-people licenses for some US travel agencies. Media reports on this situation have caused enormous confusion. Most people think that legal Cuba travel for Americans has ended. This is not the case. Many licenses remain available.
It’s still ok for Americans to go to Cuba with a license. Cuba travel for Americans hasn’t been cancelled or banned. Despite delays by Washington in re-issuing licenses to some US travel agencies, you can still visit Cuba legally now with many other Cuba travel agencies and license options. Find out at LegalCubaTravel.com