United States May Lift Cuba Travel Ban

Last week, a US congressional committee voted to lift the Cuba travel ban — a ban which has been in place for nearly 50 years.

The bill that would lift the Cuba travel ban would need to be approved by two additional committees before the House and Senate will consider it, but many believe that this is the first step to creating a more solid foundation between the two countries.

Why Is There a Cuba Travel Ban?

The United States enacted an embargo against Cuba in November 1960. The ban affected more than just travel to Cuba — it prohibited any business deals between the countries.

The ban was put into place in 1960 after Cuba began seizing and nationalizing US properties. When the Cuban government refused to back down from the nationalization practices, the embargo was strengthened in 1962 and again in 1963. Bills passed in 1992 and 1996 reinforced the embargo by not allowing international businesses that do business in Cuba to do business in the United States.

While the embargo was not to be lifted while Cuba still refused to become a democratic country, the restrictions have been relaxed in the past decade. US Citizenship and Immigration Services has a special path to permanent residence for Cuban nationals. Medicine and some agricultural goods can be sold or donated to Cuba for humanitarian purposes. Just last year, President Barack Obama eased the restrictions even further.

How Will Lifting the Cuba Travel Ban Affect the US?

In 2009, President Obama made it easier for Cuban-Americans with family in Cuba to see their relatives. Cuban-Americans are allowed limited visitation rights, and other special arrangements were made for students or professionals.

Lifting the Cuba travel ban will allow not only those with Cuban relatives but all interested American travelers to legally see Cuba for the first time in nearly half a century.

Supporters of the bill, which is called the Travel Restriction Reform and Export Enhancement Act, believe it would be an excellent way to expand trade. The bill would allow the sale of goods to Cuba directly, and deals with Cuban banks would be involved. The National Farmers Union and US Chamber of Commerce support the bill.

The bill’s opponents say that lifting the Cuba travel ban will increase the amount of money going to the Cuban Communist regime. However, proponents argue that while the government may profit, the Cuban people will also benefit from the increased tourism — a benefit that outweighs the negatives.

If the Cuba travel ban is lifted, American tourists can finally see the the historical, vivacious city of Havana or visit the beaches that Ernest Hemingway immortalized in prose.

But before you begin packing your suitcase, remember that though the House Agriculture Committee has passed the bill, it must also pass through the Foreign Affairs and Financial Services committees before the full House and Senate can look at it. It may be several months or even more than a year before you can be sipping on daiquiris or puffing on a Cuban cigar, but the Cuba travel ban is still one step closer to being retracted!