• Submitted by: manso
• Business and Economy
• 01 / 18 / 2011

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By CB Online Staff. [email protected]. New Progressive Party Rep. José Aponte urged lawmakers Monday to take up proposed legislation to lure charter flights to Ponce, citing the easing of U.S. travel restrictions to Cuba as another challenge facing the island’s tourism industry.

House Bill 2421 — authored by Aponte and co-sponsored by Reps. Julissa Nolasco and Luis “Tato” León last January — would create an incentive program to land charter service at Mercedita Airport. The measure is aimed at boosting economic development in the southern region and diversifying the island’s tourism offer.

Aponte said his renewed call to pass the legislation stemmed from last week’s announcement by the Obama administration that it will loosen Cuban travel policy to allow students and church groups to go to the island nation.

“We are somewhat underestimating the impact that the potential opening of the Cuban market will have on our tourism industry,” Aponte said. “I understand that President Obama’s decision is another step in that direction and we can’t sit back doing nothing.”

The House bill would create a special fund at the Puerto Rico Tourism Company to be used to develop charter flights to Mercedita Airport and to benefit the 15 towns that make up the Porta Caribe region: Adjuntas, Arroyo, Coamo, Guánica, Guayama, Guayanilla, Jayuya, Juana Díaz, Patillas, Peñuelas, Ponce, Salinas, Santa Isabel, Villalba and Yauco.

“Charter flights aren’t a total solution to the problems facing our tourism industry, but they do represent an opportunity to diversify our product and can serve as a efficient tool to develop tourism in a region that has been hard hit by the economic crisis we face,” Aponte said.

Under the plan announced by the Obama administration, students seeking academic credit and churches traveling for religious purposes will be able to go to Cuba. The plan will also let any American send as much as $500 every three months to Cuban citizens who are not part of the Castro administration and are not members of the Communist Party.

Also, more airports will be allowed to offer charter service. Right now, only three airports — in Miami, Los Angeles and New York City — can offer authorized charters to Cuba. That will be expanded to any international airport with proper customs and immigration facilities as long as licensed travel agencies ask to run charters from the airport.

Officials at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, Puerto Rico’s main airport, have expressed interest in offering charter service to Cuba. Tampa International Airport is already taken steps to provide service to Cuba.

The White House press office sent out a release saying Obama had directed the changes, which do not need congressional approval. They will be put in place by month’s end.

Changes that Obama made last year already increased Cuban-Americans’ ability to visit family and send money to relatives. The changes are similar to travel policies under President Bill Clinton. Critics said they will not improve the lives of Cubans.

Source: www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news03.