Cuba Travel Update

An Update on Cuba Travel Regulations: “What’s the deal with traveling to Cuba?”

rom Obama to Trump to Biden, U.S. policies on dealing with Cuba – and what that means for travelers – have been see-sawing back and forth for years. In 2014, the “Cuban thaw” was initiated by the Obama F Administration – greatly improving U.S. relations with Cuba and officially ending more than 55 years of open hostility between the two countries. Travel restrictions were eased, as well as limitations on the importing and exporting of goods between the U.S. and Cuba. By May 2015, U.S. travel to Cuba by Americans with no family ties to the country had risen by more than 35%.

In 2016, the Trump administration changed course, pursuing a much more antagonistic policy toward Cuba that included new restrictions on flights, trade, financial transactions, and travel. General tourism and certain types of individual travel by Americans took the biggest hit, and navigating the rules and regulations for Cuban travel (controlled and monitored by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control) became much more complicated. During the 2016-2020 timeframe, it was still legal for Americans to travel to Cuba, but new regulations required additional work and much more attention to detail

During the 2020 campaign, Joe Biden promised to renew US-Cuba relations and roll back some of the Trump-era policies, which partially occurred in May of 2022 with a slight lift on sanctions to expand channels of communication between the U.S. and Cuba and increase travel and economic support. While these new policies reinstated some flights as well as certain types of travel authorizations to Cuba, they did not match the Obama administration rules, which allowed for individual “people-to-people” travel.

Today, the legal aspects of traveling to Cuba as an American remain … complicated. Policies and regulations can be tricky and confusing, so working with the right agency or services is imperative when planning and booking a trip to Cuba. While no travel bans currently prevent Americans from visiting the island, there are specific regulations that Americans must comply with. That is why all Yellow Dog trips to Cuba are structured, organized, and designed to follow up-to-date OFAC travel regulations – ensuring that our customers comply with current rules and specifics.

Policies and regulations aside, it is worth mentioning that Cuba is still NOT a destination for everyone, and even if you love to travel, there may be a better fit than this island nation. Cuba remains a communist country, and outside of the fishing operations, few things run smoothly, efficiently, or sensibly. Cuba is still operating with an infrastructure over 60 years old, and in most ways, it has yet to catch up with the rest of the world. The COVID pandemic has also hit the Cuban economy incredibly hard, and as a result, inflation is now rampant, and just about everything on the island is in short supply. When you travel in Cuba outside of a packaged trip itinerary, you should prepare to deal with shortages of almost everything. The fishing is usually incredible, however, and the marine ecosystems, flats, and fisheries are some of the most pristine and productive in the entire Caribbean region. Anglers who venture to Cuba’s marine protected areas participate in fish counts and help to contribute to scientific data collecting to help monitor fish populations while also patrolling these protected waters from illegal fishing. Combined with directly supporting the Cuban people, it can be worth jumping through travel hoops and dealing with regulatory challenges to make the journey.

A trip to Cuba is about visiting the country and seeing a place that, in many ways, has changed little since the late 1950s. The fishing can be exciting and productive, but a visit to Havana, Camaguey, or some of the more rural areas of the island to experience the sights, the sounds, the people, and the warmth of Cuban culture is what makes these trips truly exceptional. Contact Yellow Dog today to learn more about the logistics and legalities of traveling to Cuba.