• Submitted by: manso
• Politics and Government
• 02 / 20 / 2011

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By: Valarie D'Elia. Americans can visit Cuba, now that some of the travel restrictions to the island have been lifted, but visits still have to meet certain official criteria. NY1's Valarie D'Elia filed the following report.

It's now much easier for average Americans to visit the off-limits island of Cuba, but it's still no day at the beach.

President Barack Obama’s recent executive order to broaden licensed travel to Cuba means more Americans will be able visit the Communist island, but don't expect to be sipping mojitos on the Malecon.

"Cuba is a very intense experience. It's wonderful, you're learning a lot. It has to be a purposeful visit under the law," says John McAuliff of Cuba People 2 People.

What the new law provides is the ability for Americans to travel for religious, academic and cultural pursuits, with an authorized sponsor or tour operator.

"If you're interested in learning about Cuban culture, arts, music, dance, history, political system, whatever you want to do that's a serious people-to-people exchange, you can do it today," says McAuliff.

The new initiative is expected to attract up to 200,000 ordinary U.S. visitors who will find more places to fly from.

"Any airport that has the ability to handle international flights, that has customs and immigration authority, can now do charter flights to Cuba," says McAuliff.

The order stops short of lifting the 50-year-old ban on tourism spending, a development that the travel industry had been hoping for.

It will take congressional action for the economic embargo to be abolished, but there are still those Cuban-Americans, like Oceania Cruises owner Frank Del Rio, who will not sail his ships there until certain conditions are met.

Source: www.nytts.com w