The morning I arrived in Havana, bleary after a 4am check-in for a charter from Miami, my group decamped to the terrace of historic Hotel Nacional in need of caffeine. Strong coffees in hand, we were receptive when our trip leader, a well-traveled, unflappable American on his fourth season guiding in Cuba, started the icebreakers.
Asked to share our hopes for a week in a country that’s only about 300 miles from the United States but still (for now) a world away, we voiced the breathless mind-set that’s everywhere these days.
“I want to see it before it changes,” was the theme among the group on this trip organized by the high-end operator. We were kind compared to what we overheard from nearby Brits and Aussies: Let’s get here before the Americans ruin it.
The thing is, we’re all wrong. Yes, Cuba is about to welcome large cruise ships with US passengers and, most likely, scheduled flights on US carriers. Even without mass tourism from the US, some 3 million people visited Cuba last year, and there’s no question tourism will continue to grow.The morning I arrived in Havana, bleary after a 4am check-in for a charter from Miami, my group decamped to the terrace of historic Hotel Nacional in need of caffeine. Strong coffees in hand, we were receptive when our trip leader, a well-traveled, unflappable American on his fourth season guiding in Cuba, started the icebreakers.
Asked to share our hopes for a week in a country that’s only about 300 miles from the United States but still (for now) a world away, we voiced the breathless mind-set that’s everywhere these days.
“I want to see it before it changes,” was the theme among the group on this trip organized by the high-end operator GeoEx. We were kind compared to what we overheard from nearby Brits and Aussies: Let’s get here before the Americans ruin it.
The thing is, we’re all wrong. Yes, Cuba is about to welcome large cruise ships with US passengers and, most likely, scheduled flights on US carriers. Even without mass tourism from the US, some 3 million people visited Cuba last year, and there’s no question tourism will continue to grow of the country’s wacked-out dual currency and improve everyday Cubans’ lives be blessings, even if they make things less charming for visitors?)
Anyway, Cuba is evolving, which is why visiting right now is fascinating. We’re nearing another inflection point—Cuba’s succession plan for when (if?) Raul Castro steps down in 2018 is a big question, as is the outcome of the upcoming US election.
For now, the safest, and most educational, way for Americans to go is on a “people-to-people” visa arranged by a tour operator that has earned State Department approval and has organized heavily structured itineraries of “cultural exchange” with at least one Cuban contributing to the conversation at all times. (While still technically illegal, the option of making an undeclared visit via a third country is as viable as ever.) GeoEx was one of the first US companies to secure permits and agreements with the Cuban journalists, economists, musicologists and others who give lectures, lead museum tours and organize artistic performances. Given the staggering growth in people-to-people trips, it’s safe to stay those locals are in high demand. GeoEx snapped up the cream of the crop.
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