Photo by David Cogswell
The United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) is responding to the Obama administration's new regulations regarding travel to Cuba by reminding American travelers that more than a dozen of their members offer "people to people" cultural immersion trips.
The USTOA reminder comes in the wake of Thursday's annoucement regarding eased restrictions on travel to Cuba.
"Can Americans jump on a plane today to visit Cuba? The short answer is 'no,' at least not for some time until commercial flights begin and the infrastructure is in place," said USTOA president and CEO Terry Dale. "But, U.S. travelers can visit Cuba today through the existing cultural programs offered by tour operators, such as the members of USTOA."
Since President Obama's announcement that the U.S. would restore full diplomatic relations with Cuba back on Dec. 17, the Caribbean destination has generated tremendous buzz.
"This is the first time Cuba has debuted on USTOA's list of top emerging destinations, and given the continually growing demand to visit the culturally rich nation, our tour operator members plan to enhance and expand their already popular itineraries to offer more extensive, immersive programs to Cuba," he added.
Itineraries offered by USTOA members include Globus' nine-day "Eastern Cuba's Hidden Gems" tour, Collette's "Rediscover Cuba-A Cultural Exploration," Alexander + Roberts' "Undiscovered Cuba" small group journey, Exploria Inc's nine-day "Havana Highlights" tour and Mayflower Tours' "Cuba Experience 2015."
In addition to providing an educational experience, these cultural trips allow travelers to live like locals and in some cases adventure to overlooked towns and communities.
Travelers will have to be patient for travel services and infrastructure to catch up to the new policy, but fortunately there are ways to experience Cuba in the meantime with the help of USTOA members.
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