• Submitted by: manso
• Politics and Government
• 01 / 20 / 2011

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Wed Jan 19, 9:05 am ET. Islanders eager to welcome many more Americans. Cubans gearing up for a big jump in stateside visits this year. New regulations and issues are explained by tour operator.Havana, Cuba (PRWEB) January 19, 2011. Last week's announcement from the White House to ease rules that prohibit most Americans from visiting Cuba was greeted with enthusiasm on the island report representatives of Cuba Education Tours.

Barak Obama's January 14 decree titled, "Reaching Out to the Cuban People," means that tens of thousands more Americans will be able to go to Cuba and connect with its people.

In 2004, George W. Bush tightened already restrictive travel rules. He reversed Clinton-era policies that allowed Cuba travel for humanitarian, academic and religious purposes.

While Obama's changes open travel doors closed by Bush, it does not mean that Americans can simply hop on a plane and enjoy a beach holiday as do a million Canadians together with 1.4 million visitors from other countries annually.

Permission to travel will only be granted to Americans seeking academic, people-to-people, cultural and spiritual sojourns.

Obama's ruling mandates U.S. visitors must "reach out to the Cuban people in support of their desire to freely determine their country's future."

Americans did so in huge numbers during the 1990s through 2004. They returned and reported finding most Cubans happy with their system of government, but dismayed by the hardships imposed upon them by Washington's economic embargo in place since 1960. Such reports were central to Bush's elimination of Cuba travel exceptions by his predecessor.

Negative responses to Obama's move have been minimal. Cuban-American Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee), and senator Marco Rubio, both Republicans from Florida, condemned Obama. They advance a hardline approach to isolate and punish the Cuba people in the hope they'll rise against their government.

Yet polls show the current generation of Cuban-Americans favor increased openness. As well a vast majority of Americans want to go to Cuba without any permission or restrictions. The U.S. remains the only country whose residents require approval from their government to go to Cuba.

The Cuban government applauded the decision but says Obama did not go far enough in allowing his people to travel freely. On January 16 it affirmed, "Cuba has always been in favor of interchanges with the people of the United States, its universities, academic, scientific and religious institutions."

Islanders are overjoyed with the White House change. "It's just wonderful," said Anayansi Himely, a television producer and translator in Havana. "We have so much in common with our American neighbors. We share so many cultural and historical ties.

We shouldn't be separated by arbitrary rules."

"I was in Havana when the news hit last Friday," says Leonardo Hechavarria, a Cuban living in Canada. "Everyone was thrilled. We all made so many good friends in the States we met before Bush stopped them from coming. Now they can return."

Hechavarria is a travel planner with Cuba Education Tours. His agency organizes culture, history, nature and school programs to the island. "We've been assisting Americans with Cuba travel for 14 years. I just wish Mr. Obama would let all his people go. But this is a great start."

"Obama's changes sure resonate with Americans. Our phones are ringing off the hook. I'm so happy to help them experience my country," he says.

Marcel Hatch
Cuba Education Tours
1-888-965-5647
Email Information

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/prweb/20110119/bs_prweb/prweb4983534_1