Word Association (2024)

[webfact]

U.S. travel warning sends chill across Cuban tourism industry

By Nelson Acosta and Marc Frank

 

Tourists walk in Havana, Cuba, September 29, 2017. Picture taken on September 29, 2017. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini

 

HAVANA (Reuters) - Businesses catering to U.S. tourists visiting Cuba have had a rude awakening in the last few months after enjoying a 2-1/2-year boom.

 

First, U.S. President Donald Trump in June ordered tighter restrictions on travel to the Caribbean island. Then the U.S. State Department warned on Friday against going there after a spate of alleged attacks on its diplomats in Havana, stating until the cause was determined, it could not guarantee Americans' safety.

 

The new regulations have not yet been published, and the warning does not mean Americans cannot travel to Cuba. Still, the moves relegate the island back to the realm of "forbidden fruit" to be enjoyed at one's peril.

 

"Just as the re-establishment of Cuba-U.S. relations was a positive influence, now this will be very negative," said Jose Enrique Montoto, who rents an apartment, often to American guests, through the online marketplace Airbnb. "They are creating a mood of insecurity for those who want to travel to Cuba."

 

Montoto, 57, said three U.S. citizens who were set to arrive in Havana on Saturday had canceled their reservation with him at the last minute without an explanation. He worried that more would do the same.

 

To be sure, less than 10 percent of foreign visitors to the island are Americans, even though the number of those travelers tripled to 285,000 last year due to new exemptions to the travel ban in the wake of the 2014 U.S.-Cuban historic detente under former U.S. President Barack Obama.

 

According to Cuban government statistics, that would place local revenues from Americans' sojourns at about $300 million.

Cuba has long catered largely to Canadian and European tourists, and some local business owners said recent events under Trump were a harsh reminder not to rely too much on one market.

 

Still, others said Americans were particularly good clients who paid well. They also feared the U.S. travel warning would further tarnish Cuba's image as a safe and idyllic destination after Hurricane Irma wreaked havoc there last month.

 

A dip in tourism this year would be a further blow to Cuba's economy, which already is struggling with a drop in cheap oil shipments from key ally Venezuela, lower exports and a cash crunch.

 

WHAT ABOUT THE BOTTOM LINE?

 

Airbnb, American Airlines, United Airlines and other U.S. companies said on Friday that they would continue their operations on and to Cuba despite the travel warning and the new, tighter regulations.

 

However, business could suffer if fewer Americans visit there.

 

Trump has said he wants to eliminate one of the most popular exemptions to the U.S. travel ban on Cuba, the self-directed "people-to-people" category. Confusion remains about what will be allowed.

 

"I’m concerned about the impact (the warning) will have on our 2018 and 2019 business,” said Andrea Holbrook, owner of Gainesville, Florida-based Holbrook Travel, which runs tours to more than 30 countries.

 

"Cuba certainly has been an emerging destination," she said on Saturday at a Havana conference organized by the Responsible and Ethical Cuba Travel association (RESPECT), a U.S. group of more than 150 businesses and non-profits bringing Americans to the island.

 

U.S. cruise operators such as Royal Caribbean and Carnival Corp may remain unscathed, experts said, since their guests can stay on board, while the alleged attacks on U.S. diplomats are said to have occurred at their homes and hotels.

 

U.S. tour operators said the alleged attacks had not affected any U.S. tourists and that Cuba remained one of the safest destinations possible.

 

"Our conclusion was this seems to be a political statement, not a warning because they are worried about peoples’ health," said RESPECT Co-Coordinator Bob Guild.

 

Cubans in the hospitality sector said that rather than wait for relations to improve under Trump, they should instead look to new markets.

 

"He is trying to close the door to us ever more," said Aimee Santos, 53, who rents out her flat, "but whenever a door closes, others open."

(Reporting by Marc Frank; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-10-02

[impulse]

47 minutes ago, webfact said:

Then the U.S. State Department warned on Friday against going there after a spate of alleged attacks on its diplomats in Havana, stating until the cause was determined, it could not guarantee Americans' safety.

 

As if they could guaranty the safety of the average tourist outside their armed compounds anywhere in the world anyway.

[maximillian]

Cubans be aware of the dangers coming from US.

A trade embargo for decades will finally ruin any smaller country.

Another David / Goliath case.

[craigt3365]

2 hours ago, maximillian said:

Cubans be aware of the dangers coming from US.

A trade embargo for decades will finally ruin any smaller country.

Another David / Goliath case.

Nice off topic post.  Have you ever been to Cuba?  Most dream of going to the US and many have relatives there.  Many.  And most despise their government.

 

Jeez...

[taipan1949]

I am a Canadian, really, white Canadian and I worked for about six months on a project south of Habana, Combined Cycle Power Plant, and I had the time of my life. I do have the benefit of being fluent in Mexican Spanish having gone to school for four years in Mexico City long time ago when it was a clean beautiful city. The Cubans who worked with me as my "partners" were wonderful and easy going and it was great to go to work every day. My only day off which was Sunday I spent in Habana and limited touring around the place I lived in Guanabo. The whole place is lovely and worth the visit and maybe even retiring. I was already wrapped in Thailand for 30 years so I am able to comment on Paradise Countries. I am now in the Philippines but Cuba is always in my mind and heart.

[craigt3365]

7 minutes ago, taipan1949 said:

I am a Canadian, really, white Canadian and I worked for about six months on a project south of Habana, Combined Cycle Power Plant, and I had the time of my life. I do have the benefit of being fluent in Mexican Spanish having gone to school for four years in Mexico City long time ago when it was a clean beautiful city. The Cubans who worked with me as my "partners" were wonderful and easy going and it was great to go to work every day. My only day off which was Sunday I spent in Habana and limited touring around the place I lived in Guanabo. The whole place is lovely and worth the visit and maybe even retiring. I was already wrapped in Thailand for 30 years so I am able to comment on Paradise Countries. I am now in the Philippines but Cuba is always in my mind and heart.

Lucky man!  The only thing I didn't like about Cuba was the inability to walk around freely with your friends without them getting into trouble.  Poor infrastructure.  And lousy food!  LOL.  Loved the rum, the sea, the people, the old buildings in Havana.  Fantastic. 

 

Sad they are treated so bad by their government.  They deserve better.

[taipan1949]

1 hour ago, craigt3365 said:

Lucky man!  The only thing I didn't like about Cuba was the inability to walk around freely with your friends without them getting into trouble.  Poor infrastructure.  And lousy food!  LOL.  Loved the rum, the sea, the people, the old buildings in Havana.  Fantastic. 

 

Sad they are treated so bad by their government.  They deserve better.

I am a Marine and you would be surprised what we can live on but seriously....I did fine and lost about 20 Lbs. My boys used to bring me avacados the size of watermelons and mangos of the same size. Although I only ate fish in restaurants. We were lucky as we were working there on a six weeks in and three out and NO WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS  on food or anything else so expats did well who traveled back and forth. They brought prime rib roasts steaks and enough other stuff to last their six weeks. As a Marine I just stayed and adapted to my environment. Off subject, I have also worked five years in China and one year in Map Ta Phut Thailand. What a wonderful world I have lived in.

[craigt3365]

15 minutes ago, taipan1949 said:

I am a Marine and you would be surprised what we can live on but seriously....I did fine and lost about 20 Lbs. My boys used to bring me avacados the size of watermelons and mangos of the same size. Although I only ate fish in restaurants. We were lucky as we were working there on a six weeks in and three out and NO WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS  on food or anything else so expats did well who traveled back and forth. They brought prime rib roasts steaks and enough other stuff to last their six weeks. As a Marine I just stayed and adapted to my environment. Off subject, I have also worked five years in China and one year in Map Ta Phut Thailand. What a wonderful world I have lived in.

I went to the market with my buddy and his 2 sisters.  Saw some apples so bought sone for all of us.  Not cheap, but not crazy expensive.  She stood there and looked at it for some time.  She's almost 30.  I couldn't figure out what was going on.  Finally found out she'd never had one!  She had no idea how to eat it.

 

My and my friend from the US sponsored a dinner at our buddy's family house.  A feast for all cost very little money.  We had some meat and our Cuban friend was soooo impressed.  He just kept saying "protina, protina".  They rarely get beef.  Just skinny chickens. LOL

 

I saw his ration card.  No wonder he's skinny!

Edited October 3, 2017 by craigt3365

[Scott]

A post with the aberrant spelling of a politician has been removed.  

[Basil B]

Maybe time that Cuba and many other countries warn of the dangers of traveling to the US which IMHO is certainly more dangerous...

[craigt3365]

5 minutes ago, Basil B said:

Maybe time that Cuba and many other countries warn of the dangers of traveling to the US which IMHO is certainly more dangerous...

Perhaps they should also issue a warning for Europe and the UK. Certainly more dangerous...

[USPatriot]

On 02/10/2017 at 7:52 AM, impulse said:

 

As if they could guaranty the safety of the average tourist outside their armed compounds anywhere in the world anyway.

No country can

[USPatriot]

On 03/10/2017 at 9:24 AM, craigt3365 said:

I went to the market with my buddy and his 2 sisters.  Saw some apples so bought sone for all of us.  Not cheap, but not crazy expensive.  She stood there and looked at it for some time.  She's almost 30.  I couldn't figure out what was going on.  Finally found out she'd never had one!  She had no idea how to eat it.

 

My and my friend from the US sponsored a dinner at our buddy's family house.  A feast for all cost very little money.  We had some meat and our Cuban friend was soooo impressed.  He just kept saying "protina, protina".  They rarely get beef.  Just skinny chickens. LOL

 

I saw his ration card.  No wonder he's skinny!

Love the socialists way

[Basil B]

3 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

Perhaps they should also issue a warning for Europe and the UK. Certainly more dangerous...

Yes, Europe and the UK maybe more dangerous than Cuba, but the US is in a league of it's own. 

[impulse]

1 hour ago, USPatriot said:

On 10/2/2017 at 8:52 AM, impulse said:

As if they could guaranty the safety of the average tourist outside their armed compounds anywhere in the world anyway.

No country can

 

So that makes the travel advisory a little ridiculous, doesn't it? 

 

Because of some unknown, possibly deliberate, sonic shenanigans allegedly being perpetrated on our diplomatic staff, we can no longer guaranty the safety of our tourists traveling to Cuba.

 

I'm still thinking it may be some kind of chemical thing from mold, mildew, formaldehyde, a pesticide or a cleaning product.  They can throw off  some pretty weird symptoms.  Or it could be the CIA (or any of a hundred other entities) still trying to keep Cuba impoverished by scaring US tourist money away. 

 

Which are both wild conspiracy theories, but no less plausible than a previously undetected sonic attack.

Edited October 5, 2017 by impulse

[impulse]

1 hour ago, USPatriot said:

Love the socialists way

 

The problem with blaming it on socialism is separating the socialist (or communist) economic system from their totalitarian government system.

 

It's quite possible to have a democratic, socialist system that functions nicely, like some European countries approximate.  It's also possible to have democratic and capitalist systems that fail miserably, like some of SEA.  I won't mention any countries by name... 

 

So is it the socialism that doesn't work, or are the corrupt governments (and economic sanctions) to blame?

 

[craigt3365]

2 hours ago, Basil B said:

Yes, Europe and the UK maybe more dangerous than Cuba, but the US is in a league of it's own. 

Ummm....been a few more terrorist incidents in Europe and the UK lately. Many more than in the US. But we're off topic now.

[craigt3365]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

Which are both wild conspiracy theories, but no less plausible than a previously undetected sonic attack.

The difference being the timing with Russian diplomats being kicked out of the US and the fact Russia has done this to another US embassy before. But yes, the others are both wild conspiracy theories.  LOL

[impulse]

2 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

The difference being the timing with Russian diplomats being kicked out of the US and the fact Russia has done this to another US embassy before. But yes, the others are both wild conspiracy theories.  LOL

 

If I were the CIA, and wanted to keep Cuba impoverished for old times sake, ya figure it may be smart to make it look like something the Russkies have done (or been accused of, anyway) before?  That's Black Flag 101.

 

[craigt3365]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

 

If I were the CIA, and wanted to keep Cuba impoverished for old times sake, ya figure it may be smart to make it look like something the Russkies have done (or been accused of, anyway) before?  That's Black Flag 101.

 

Luckily you're not the CIA! LOL.