Mass media reports, particularly in the US, have regularly referred during the past forty years, to American-Cuban tense relationship since the US embargo to Cuba was set in 1961.
In 1978 president Jimmy Carter lift the travel restrictions for Americans to visit Cuba legally which opened a new era in the Cuban tourism industry. Hundreds of thousands of American citizens and Cuban citizens residents in the US had the opportunity to travel to Cuban during 1978 and 1979.
This flow of visitors to Cuba was suddenly cut when Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980, when travel restrictions to Cuba were again put in place.
Once the president Bill Clinton came to power and particular after his re-election the democrat administration started again to implement flexibility in its relationship with Cuba.
One of the sectors where more emphasis was made was the migratory area where several agreements were signed between governments.
At the same time, the Clinton administration has gradually been allowing that some sectors of the American society visits Cuba, such as journalists, writers, government officials, academics, artists, religious people and other groups dedicated to humanitarian aid.
Another measure taken by the American government has been to allow private remittances for the civil population in Cuba.
In addition, the American government has allowed commercial trade of medicines between US and Cuban laboratories.
In the cultural sector the increase of exchange between the two countries have registered significant growth not only from the US to Cuba but also from Cuba to the US.
Within this context, the general understanding that US government does not allow American citizens to visit Cuba is not true. Although freedom to travel for American citizens to Cuba does not exist in a general sense.
The Treasure Department has foreseen the authorization of academic licenses for universities, research centers, academic institutions, religious organizations, non-profit organizations, mass media and others.
How to visit Cuba?
Finally, we would like to point out that if you have a particular interest to visit Cuba to get to know the social reality of the island, contact and visit Cuban academic institutions with which you can ask to join one of the above mentioned licensed American organizations that already have an interchange of activities with Cuba. Once you have joined one of this entities you can freely ask support to research about the theme you are particularly interested in.
Later the leaders of these organizations make all necessary travel arrangements with the Treasure Department in Washington D.C. and report your name and your personal details to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) telling that you will be able to visit Cuba under the protection of a collective license during an specific period of time set by the organizers for the trip.
Following this procedure you will not need to apply for a personal license to the OFAC which normally takes months to process in Washington and which usually are denied if you are not inside the categories authorized by the US laws.
Planning your trip to Cuba
Once you have been accepted into one of the groups wishing to visit Cuba, the organization will contact Cuba Travel Corporation in Cancun, Mexico, who will do all traveling arrangements for the whole group.
Our travel agency book flights from any American city to Cancun and has a booking engine which allow us to obtain the cheapest deals for American flights to Cancun as well as for the three daily flights from Cancun to Havana.
In Cancun and Havana we have signed contracts with the main suppliers of travel services as well as biggest tour operators. We also have contacts with universities, academic institutions, non profit organizations and the most important contacts for Americans in Cuba.