US vote offers hope for Cuban tourism

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The US House of Representatives yesterday brushed aside a veto threat from President Bush and approved several measures to ease restrictions on travel and trade with Cuba

Despite efforts by anti-Castro lawmakers and the administration, a series of votes approved amendments to a bill that would eliminate restrictions on American tourists travelling to Cuba.

Speaking to Travel Retailer International this month, Cuba's main duty-free operator Provimar said it was not hopeful of an influx of US visitors with continuing political tensions between the US and Cuban authorities. But moves to open up tourist travel from the US to Cuba could yet benefit the operator, and the tourism industry in general. Duty-free sales of Cuban cigars alone would provide a massive boost to operators.

It has been estimated that if the travel ban were to be lifted, and US airlines and cruise operators were allowed into Cuba, more than 2m US visitors would arrive by the fifth year, practically doubling Cuba's income from tourism.

According to official figures, Cuba is only just beginning to recover from the tourism slump experienced across the Caribbean. Although US Congress voted to uphold the constitutional right to travel last summer, a number of other obstacles remain. Reformers won approval of a similar amendment last year, but it was blocked from the final version of the measure sent to the White House.

Some US restrictions on travel to Cuba were lifted in 1998, but officially only business visitors and others with specific purposes are permitted, not tourists.