by Brian Major
Last updated: 12:25 AM ET, Thu September 12, 2019
International tour operator Friendly Planet Travel acquired New York-based Cuba tour operator insightCuba announced Peggy Goldman, Friendly Planet's founder and president, on Wednesday. The combined company will "bring a unified voice to the certainty of legal travel to Cuba by Americans," said Goldman in a statement.
InsightCuba is recognized as a leading provider of Cuba leisure travel packages for Americans. US travel to Cuba was upended earlier this year when the Trump Administration scuttled previously approved forms of travel based on "people-to-people" cultural exchanges.
InsightCuba was first US firm to receive people-to-people licenses allowing Americans to travel to Cuba legally for the first time since the ban was first imposed in 1963, said company officials. Tom Popper, insightCuba's president and a recognized Cuba expert, will continue to lead the organization said Goldman.
"Sudden changes to U.S. policy have served only to confuse American citizens about their rights to visit," she said. "These changes have had severe consequences on the Cuban people who have developed an economy reliant upon our deeply immersive style of travel. Travel to Cuba by Americans is legal, and there is demand for this incredible destination that cannot be undone."
Cuban tourism growth reached a record 4.8 million visitors in 2018 according to Cuba Tourism Board data, representing a 60 percent visitor increase in five years.
The figure is indicative of Cuba's "resilient demand," Goldman said. "Since the elimination of cruising to Cuba, the destination has become the number one searched country on our website, an increase of 177 percent year-over-year," she said.
Goldman and Popper shared additional perspective in an exclusive interview with TravelPulse.com.
TravelPulse: Why was the time right to acquire InsightCuba?
PG: "We have been watching Insight Cuba since 2011, when we got our first people-to-people license. We admired them as great competitors and we could see that they were focused on delivering the type of high quality, interesting and creatively curated programs to Cuba that made them so successful in the market. Given the fact that one million U.S. travelers were anticipated traveling to Cuba in 2020 and the overnight exodus of the cruise industry, we felt insightCuba and Friendly Planet, together, could fill that void, capitalize on a growing market and usher in a new era of travel to Cuba."
TravelPulse: How have the recent Trump Administration changes impacted the practical Cuba travel landscape for Americans?
PG: "Actually, the recent changes have had little impact on our ability to offer legal travel programs to American travelers, other than to confuse people. While it is true that the changes pulled the rug out from under the cruise industry, it remains 100 percent legal for Americans to travel to Cuba and it's actually easier than it was a few short years ago."
TravelPulse: How can Americans travel to Cuba under the current regulations?
TP: "There are a multitude of options for American to travel. Booking with an experienced tour operator is the simplest. Tour operators have access in Cuba, the experience to offer the best activities and excursions, and understand the regulations. Due to the regulations it can be a daunting and time-consuming challenge for travelers to figure out everything on their own and remain compliant with current regulations. Specifically, U.S. travelers can join one of many tours offered by both Friendly Planet Travel and insightCuba.
There are many different options, price points, and trip lengths to choose from. We have many scheduled departures, which operate under the 'support for the Cuban people' license. From the very beginning, our programs have included many activities centered [on] supporting the entrepreneurs in Cuba, the community projects, private restaurants ('paladars'), artists, musicians and many others. We also arrange bespoke travel for small groups of friends and families with the same types of activities, often tailored to the interests of the travelers."
TravelPulse: How can travel agents work with the new Friendly Planet/Insight Cuba combination to send American travelers to Cuba?
TP: "InsightCuba works directly with consumers but has been working with travel advisors for many years. The travel advisor segment has grown to be 40 percent of insightCuba's overall business. Travel advisors find confidence in insightCuba's knowledge and experience in the destination. We are committed to educating advisors about legal travel to Cuba and to helping them sell Cuban experiences with confidence."
PG: "Both companies are looking at ways to expand our outreach to travel advisors, and we are committed to educating advisors about legal travel to Cuba and to helping them sell Cuban experiences with confidence."
TravelPulse: Has the Cuba vacation market lost momentum following the Trump Administration changes? What are your expectations, in terms of the number of Americans traveling to Cuba, for the future?
TP: "Activity surrounding travel to Cuba ebbs and flows depending on policy announcements and politics. What [insightCuba] has learned in our almost 20 years offering travel to Cuba, is that the market always bounces back. Confusion is temporary and is to be expected with Cuba. There's no other destination for Americans that is so complicated. But it also makes it so incredibly special, especially for Americans, to arrive in Cuba for the first time."
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
