The future of travel to Cuba became a hot topic last week when a bipartisan group in the US Congress jumped the gun on President Obama in an effort to change US policy toward Cuba. The first step, according to the Cuba Journal, is contained in House Bill H.R.874 - a proposed bill that would lift the travel ban on US citizens wanting to go to Cuba.

Two significant news pieces followed the action in Congress last week. CNN did a story on the issue and pointed out that the travel restricts to Cuba have never really been absolute. Bush tightened travel restrictions in 2004. It's not just a yes-or-no question.

In 2007, about 45,200 Americans - including Cuban Americans - legally obtained a license or approval from the U.S. government to enter Cuba by air, a dramatic drop from nearly 84,500 travelers in 2003, according to reports from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of Travel and Tourism Industries.

The CNN story points out that the travel industry is lobbying for change, saying that easing travel restrictions for Cuban Americans alone isn't enough. "The American Society of Travel Agents, the nation's largest group of travel professionals and companies, would like all Americans to be allowed to visit the island." The group formally requested the Obama administration lift all travel restrictions.

UPI also ran a story on a poll which shows that 72 percent of Cuban-Americans support continuing the trade embargo and 69 percent support the prohibition of tourist travel to the Cuba.


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