US bans Americans from dozens of Cuban hotels
Latest restrictions announced by the US government makes it even trickier for Americans to visit Cuba legally.
US citizens will again be required to visit as part of an organized tour group arranged in the US and a representative must accompany the travelers.
Under the Treasury Department rules, individual ‘people-to-people’ trips will be scrapped.
In addition there is a long list of businesses including hotels and shops which are off-limits, in an attempt to cut off funds going directly to the Cuban Military.
This means a US boycott of the many hotel and entertainment businesses operated by the country’s largest tourism business Gaviota, which has military ties.
In all, it adds up to more than 80 hotels on the blacklist.
Trump’s new rules do allow travelers to stay in private bed-and-breakfasts and vacation rentals, but with group travel only now allowed, it is unclear how this will work in practise.
That may spell bad news for Airbnb, as Cuba is one of its fastest growing markets.
"Airbnb has been active in trying to make certain that it can claw back some of what it sees as a problem," said John Kavulich, president of the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council.
"Their biggest problem is the shift from individual to group travel."
"We have strengthened our Cuba policies to channel economic activity away from the Cuban military and to encourage the government to move toward greater political and economic freedom for the Cuban people," said treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin.
US flights and cruises have not been directly impacted by the new rules, and a travel warning advising Americans to stay away due to the so-called ‘sonic attacks’ is still in force.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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