The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) issued a statement Tuesday regarding the December 17 announcement by U.S. President Barack Obama that the U.S. and Cuba with embark on new diplomatic relations.
"Cuba is a longstanding and active member of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, having joined the organization in 1992," according to the CTO statement. "We engage the destination in our efforts in Canada, Latin America and Europe and we look forward to including Cuba in our programs in the United States. We made a small but important breakthrough in 2002 when we succeeded in our efforts to secure a visa for the then Coordinator of International Affairs in the country’s Ministry of Tourism, Orlando Rangel Delgado, to attend Caribbean Week in New York. We anticipate much broader participation in all CTO-organized events."
In a deal negotiated during 18 months of secret talks hosted largely by Canada and encouraged by Pope Francis, who hosted a final meeting at the Vatican (and is the first Pope from Latin America), President Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro agreed in a telephone call to put aside decades of hostility to find a new relationship between the United States and the island nation just 90 minutes off the American coast.
Washington and Havana have no diplomatic relations and the United States has maintained a trade embargo on Cuba since the 1950s. According to Reuters, a senior congressional aide said Obama would ease the embargo and travel restrictions that prevent most Americans from visiting the island.
As CNN pointed out, this restoration will make it easier for Americans to travel to Cuba and do business with the Cuban people by extending general licenses. While the more liberal travel restrictions won't allow for tourism, they will permit greater American travel to the island. It is worth noting that Wednesday's announcement comes just months ahead of the March 2015 Summit of the Americas, in which Cuba is set to participate for the first time. Previously, Washington has vetoed Havana's participation on the grounds it is not a democracy, but CNN noted that this year, several countries have said they would not participate if Cuba was once again barred.
"The CTO proudly promotes an exciting, diverse tourism product offered by its over 30 member countries," according to the CTO. "Cuba is an integral part of the diversity. We support our members’ initiatives and will continue to provide the technical and other resources necessary to grow viable source markets and create sustainable tourism development strategies. This is an important part of the CTO's overall vision for the Caribbean."
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