Despite Trump, 400 thousand Americans have visited Cuba 2018

The Cuban president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, met this Friday with representatives from the travel industry

Despite the restrictions applied by Donald Trump´s Administration on travel to Cuba, more than 430 thousand Americans have visited the island up to September, 2018, according to official numbers.

The Cuban president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, met this Friday in New York with representatives from the travel industry and a group of executives from the US Chamber of Commerce, which gathers more than three million US companies.

Following the announcement of 17th December 2014, the aviation industry as well as tourism and the Chamber of Commerce, were among the main drivers of the opening with Cuba, started by President Barack Obama.

However, the new Republican Administration announced on 16thJune last year, in the city of Miami, the hardening of the policy of blockade and new restrictions on travels.

On the basis of the alleged “acoustic incidents” against their diplomats in the Cuban capital, Washington also reduced the diplomatic personnel to emergency services since September, last year.

Nonetheless, after almost three years of investigations, both from Cuba and US, there is not a single evidence of the occurrence of such events and much less of the participation of Cuban authorities.

During the meeting, Díaz-Canel highlighted the existing opportunities for contacts between the two nations and criticized the absurd prohibitions established by US laws that prevent its citizens from visiting Cuba freely.

Washington also maintains Cuba in the second level out of four in a list related to the risks to travel to different countries in the world.

Díaz-Canel asserted that, despite all these, a great number of US citizens arrives each day in Cuba and enjoys the hospitality, culture, heritage richness, safety and happiness of the people.

Following the reestablishment of diplomatic ties between Havana and Washington and the start of the new phase in the bilateral relations, the interest on Cuba skyrocketed.

A total of 619 777 US citizens travelled to Cuba in 2017, despite an unjustified alert on travel against our country at the end of that same year. Likewise, 400 thousand Cuban residents in US visited the Greater of the Antilles.

From that moment on, the numbers have decreased around 20%; however, surpassing the 400 thousand US visitors up to September this year, is evidence that the interest still remains.

In comparison, the total number of US citizens´ visits to Cuba in 2006 was 284 552.

According to official data, the number of Cuban residents that have visited Cuba is higher compared to the same period last year.

The travels demand establishes a tough competition among airlines like American, JetBlue, Southwest and Delta which bid to gain the 110 daily routes established in the 2015 agreement.

JetBlue announced, last July, a new weekly route between the cities of Boston and Havana that will commence next 10thNovember.

On the other hand, Delta Airlines will include a non-stop flight from Miami International Airport to Havana beginning next 28th October, 2018.

In relation to travel, there´s also a growing demand in United States to participate at the tourism industry.

In June, 2016, Sheraton became the first US company to undertake the management of a Cuban hotel in half a century.

Trump´s new regulations include exceptions for already signed business agreements, but these make really difficult the process to start new ones. However, the interest has not decreased.

Craig Greenberg, president of 21c Museum Hotel, a chain that combines hospitality with contemporary art, was among the attendees to the meeting with Díaz-Canel.

Many of us around United States support the betterment of the relations with Cuba, expressed the businessman, who also informed that his company count with nine hotels in the United States and wishes that Havana be the location for the first international branch.

Thomas Donohue, president of the United States Chamber of Commerce, declared to Prensa Latina that there´s possibilities for new ties within this sector.

We´re making one step at a time and will continue with those efforts, stated Donohue, who recalled his first visit to Cuba in 1997, and from that moment on, has been working successfully with Cuban leaders to open both countries to a more long-lasting relationship.

“It was a privilege to be at this meeting with the Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel”, wrote in his Twitter account Carlos Gutierrez, of Cuban origin and former Secretary of Commerce during George W. Bush Administration.

“Cuba is building a vibrant tourism industry. We have had a punishing embargo on Cuba for almost 60 years. It’s wrong and it continues to hurt the Cuban people”, added Gutierrez.

In case current restrictions are eliminated, the real demand for travel will be a lot higher that the present one.

According to a report from the International Monetary Fund, between three and five million US citizens would travel to Cuba without blockade.