March 30, 2017 - Terry
Travel to the newly opened up Cuba could be the best cultural awaking in this decade. There has been a 148% increase of Americans traveling to Cuba since former President Obama lifted previous travel bans. However, with the new administration in The White House, there has been an increase of concern what travel to Cuba will look like in the coming years.
Airlines, such as American and Jet Blue, have started cutting the amount of seats allocated to Cuba (meaning less flights). This may be an overestimation on the part of the airline industry for US tourists going to Cuba. One major issue could be that US credit cards are not accepted in Cuba. Many people do not feel comfortable walking around a foreign country with thousands of dollars in cash. Cuban infrastructure is another issue, not quite set up for the influx of tourism.
That being said, Cuba is a beautiful place to visit and explore. The history of Cuba, although controversial because of their former dictator, is beautiful and rich. And the people of Cuba are some of the most inviting people in the world.
According to the US Embassy in Cuba, there are still several travel restrictions. “Travel to Cuba for tourist activities remains prohibited by statute. However, the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued general licenses for 12 categories of travel. Individuals who meet the regulatory conditions of the general license they seek to travel under do not need to apply for an additional license from OFAC to travel to Cuba. The 12 categories of authorized travel to Cuba are:
1) family visits;
2) official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and certain intergovernmental organizations;
3) journalistic activity;
4) professional research and professional meetings;
5) educational activities;
6) religious activities;
7) public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitions;
8) support for the Cuban people;
9) humanitarian projects;
10) activities of private foundations or research or educational institutes;
11) exportation, importation, or transmission of information or informational materials;
12) and certain authorized export transactions.
If you are planning a trip to Cuba, we recommend that you buy a comprehensive travel insurance policy that includes “Emergency Medical Expense/Evacuation” and “Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR)” coverage. CFAR will increase the price of your policy for the added flexibility of canceling for, well, any reason, but it is better to be protected than to lose the investment that you are about to make, or have made already, in your trip.
If you are going to Cuba for journalism or student activities, we’ve selected the best policies for you!
We at Yonder Travel Insurance hope that you get to experience all that Cuba has to offer. Get out there and explore!
