Correspondent's Report / By Edwin Mcdowell. The New York Times. July 23, 2000
CUBA has been off-limits for American tourists for almost 40 years, or ever since President John F. Kennedy imposed an economic embargo on the island in 1962, and each of the next seven Presidents has maintained it in varying degrees. But unless President Clinton changes his mind, the ban on
United States tourist travel to Cuba is likely to be tightened sometime this summer.
The irony is that only a few months ago support for lifting the ban appeared to be growing, eroded by time and increasing exchange programs between doctors, musicians, farmers, religious delegations and athletes.
In addition, American farmers are eager to export their products to Cuba, while airlines, hotel companies, tour operators and cruise ships want a share of the island's growing tourist business, which until now has gone mainly to Canada, Spain and Italy. Even the book industry signaled its belief
that the ban would be lifted when within the past few weeks Fodor's, the Rough Guides and Michelin's new Neos imprint each published guidebooks to Cuba.
In the wake of this apparent groundswell, bills were introduced in both the House and Senate to make it easier for U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba, including one bill that would have allowed unrestricted travel and ended Washington's authority to regulate financial transactions involving such
travel. The latter provision was aimed at that portion of the existing Treasury Department regulation that does not formally prohibit American tourists from visiting Cuba but bars them from spending any money once there.
But late last month the House of Representatives agreed to a compromise that would ease some restrictions on sales of food and medicine to Cuba, in return for writing into law the existing policy regulating travel to the island. President Clinton said he would be "inclined" to sign the
bill.
Meanwhile, travel from the United States to Cuba continues to increase.
While an undetermined number of American tourists enter from Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas and other countries, others go as members of cultural, educational, humanitarian or religious groups, which are allowed in with few restrictions on regularly scheduled charter flights from New York, Miami
and Los Angeles.
According to Cuba's Tourism Ministry, the 1.6 million visitors to Cuba last year included 165,000 Americans, 100,000 of them naturalized Americans who were born in Cuba (still considered by Havana to be Cuban citizens). Canadian tourists accounted for 17 percent of the total, Britain, Germany,
Italy and Spain together accounted for about 55 percent.
Among the Americans who visited Cuba last year was Jaimie Plog of Mill Valley, Calif., who together with a friend flew from San Francisco to Mexico City where they obtained visas, which were stamped after they arrived at the airport in Havana. As they often do to protect Americans who arrive
from third countries, Cuban immigration authorities did not stamp their passports, and on their return home both women passed through United States immigration without a hitch. In the interim they spent two and a half weeks on the island "hiking, scuba diving, riding horses and, at night,
dancing the merengue," Ms. Plog said.
Meanwhile, several entrepreneurs say they have figured out how to take American tourists to Cuba without running afoul of United States law. Last month, for example, the Valtur Prima, a 550-passenger Italian cruise ship, departed on the first of its weekly cruises from Montego Bay, Jamaica, to
Havana with American tourists who booked through travel agents in Canada or Jamaica. (American travel agents are forbidden to book cruises to Cuba.) While in Cuba -- two days in Havana and a day at the beach on the Isle of Youth -- Valtur Prima officials arranged for all shore excursions to be "hosted"
by a Canadian nonprofit foundation, thereby assuring that American passengers were within the law. Another ship, the 400-passenger Habana, is set to depart Nassau on Nov. 16 on the first of year-round four- and five-day cruises to Havana, but its strategy is somewhat different.
"An American company couldn't do it under U.S. law," said Sam Blyth, the Canadian travel agent who has chartered the Greek-owned ship (and who is the North American booking agent for the Valtur Prima). "And if foreign-owned ships got to Cuba, they wouldn't be allowed to dock in
the U.S. for six months." But Mr. Blyth said that La Habana's cruises had been structured to comply with United States regulations, including not just the largess of the Canadian foundation but also shipboard lectures on Cuban culture and politics.
If the proposed ban does become law, it remains to be seen what if any effect it will have on visits by educational, cultural and humanitarian groups. In the meantime, Americans who qualify to travel to Cuba need a valid passport, visa and a license from the Department of the Treasury.
Additional information, including Cuban regulations governing visitors, is available at the following Web sites: travel.state.gov/cuba .html; www.state.gov/www/regions/wha/ cuba/travel.html and www.treas.gov/ofac.
Copyright 2000 The New York Times Company |