Supporting Americans' Freedom To Travel
ASTA praises Sen. Clinton for signaling Cuba policy change
Related Articles
By eTN Staff Writer | Jan 17, 2009
ALEXANDRIA, VA - ASTA is praising President-elect Barack Obama' nominee to be Secretary of State, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), for signaling a change in American foreign policy with respect to Cuba. At her confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this week, Senator Clinton indicated that the new administration is committed to lifting current restrictions on Americans' freedom to visit family members in Cuba and to send remittances to relatives in that country.
Calling Cuban-Americans "the best ambassadors for democracy, freedom, and a free market economy," Clinton went on to tell members of the committee that she hopes the Castro regime will see that the new administration represents an "opportunity to change some of their typical approaches."
Clinton's nomination cleared the Foreign Relations Committee Thursday in a 16-1 vote.
"Senator Clinton's statement is an encouraging signal that the incoming administration is open to new ideas with respect to US-Cuba policy," said ASTA president and chair Chris Russo. "While easing restrictions on family travel and remittances is a good first step, Americans would best be served by a complete elimination of current restrictions on travel to Cuba," Russo added.
In a letter dated December 4, 2008, ASTA and a host of organizations from across the business community formally requested that the incoming Obama administration make immediate changes to US policy toward Cuba, including a removal of the travel ban.
ASTA is committed to working with its allies from within and outside the travel and tourism industry to make the case for these policy changes, and it looks forward to working with Senator Clinton and fellow members of the incoming Obama administration and with the 111th Congress to ensure that Americans are free to travel the world without restriction from their own government.
For additional information on this issue, please visit ASTA.org or contact Colin Tooze, vice president of government affairs, at ctooze@asta.org .
The mission of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) is to facilitate the business of selling travel through effective representation, shared knowledge, and the enhancement of professionalism. ASTA seeks a retail travel marketplace that is profitable and growing and a rewarding field in which to work, invest, and do business.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Tourism Industry Summit calls for end of travel bans
How to Fuel the U.S. Economy through Travel & Tourism
Seven Recommendations from the Economic Summit of Travel & Tourism Sector Leaders
excerpt Full text of recommendations and list of signers can be read here
On Dec. 16, 2008, 37 U.S. travel and tour entities gathered in Washington, D.C., for an historic high level meeting [organized by the National Tour Association].
Traditionally segmented by specific interests, these voices united for the first time to identify immediate top priorities for President-elect Obama’s Transition Team that will help fuel America’s economy.
As a collective voice, they speak for more than 82,000 businesses and members and stand ready to assist the new Administration in leveraging the travel and tourism sector as a stimulus for the national economy and global competitiveness.
[Although Cuba is not mentioned specifically, it is the only country currently affected by a travel ban.]
7. Re-Examination of Travel Bans
On rare occasions, the United States government has restricted or banned travel to certain countries as a punitive economic measure or to advance other foreign policy goals. It is recommended that the incoming Administration re-examine this practice and to eliminate any such bans currently in effect.
The use of travel freedom as an instrument of foreign policy manipulation ultimately harms the very citizens it purports to protect. Were the American people allowed the opportunity to travel to countries whose leaders are publicly opposed to American interests, they could serve as ambassadors of freedom and American values to those nations. The travel and tourism industries, those who do business with them, and the broader economy will see both immediate and long-term economic gains as the easing of travel bans leads to increased demand for new passenger routes, tour operations, and travel agent services. It is recommended that the incoming Administration:
• Recognize that freedom to travel is an important instrument of economic development and mutual understanding.
• Adopt as policy that the citizens of the United States should be free to travel the globe without
artificial restrictions placed on them by their own government.
• Promote the benefits of unfettered travel for U.S. citizens as a matter of national policy.
Seven Recommendations from the Economic Summit of Travel & Tourism Sector Leaders
excerpt Full text of recommendations and list of signers can be read here
On Dec. 16, 2008, 37 U.S. travel and tour entities gathered in Washington, D.C., for an historic high level meeting [organized by the National Tour Association].
Traditionally segmented by specific interests, these voices united for the first time to identify immediate top priorities for President-elect Obama’s Transition Team that will help fuel America’s economy.
As a collective voice, they speak for more than 82,000 businesses and members and stand ready to assist the new Administration in leveraging the travel and tourism sector as a stimulus for the national economy and global competitiveness.
[Although Cuba is not mentioned specifically, it is the only country currently affected by a travel ban.]
7. Re-Examination of Travel Bans
On rare occasions, the United States government has restricted or banned travel to certain countries as a punitive economic measure or to advance other foreign policy goals. It is recommended that the incoming Administration re-examine this practice and to eliminate any such bans currently in effect.
The use of travel freedom as an instrument of foreign policy manipulation ultimately harms the very citizens it purports to protect. Were the American people allowed the opportunity to travel to countries whose leaders are publicly opposed to American interests, they could serve as ambassadors of freedom and American values to those nations. The travel and tourism industries, those who do business with them, and the broader economy will see both immediate and long-term economic gains as the easing of travel bans leads to increased demand for new passenger routes, tour operations, and travel agent services. It is recommended that the incoming Administration:
• Recognize that freedom to travel is an important instrument of economic development and mutual understanding.
• Adopt as policy that the citizens of the United States should be free to travel the globe without
artificial restrictions placed on them by their own government.
• Promote the benefits of unfettered travel for U.S. citizens as a matter of national policy.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Cuba says tourism up 2% in 2008
Image via paastalk.com
$2 billion from 2.3 million visitors, with Canada, Italy, Spain and Britain topping the list.
HAVANA -- Cuban Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero announced that this sector grew by 2 percent in 2008 and will end the year with 2.3 million visitors, a number that breaks the record set in 2005.
Marrero said Friday that the sector managed to reverse the decrease that occurred in 2007, while giving an account of his management at a plenary session of Parliament attended by President Raul Castro.
Marrero, who gave no revenue figures for tourism, said the sector grew despite the devastation wrought by three hurricanes between August and November at resorts in the eastern cities of Holguin and Camagüey and the western city of Pinar del Rio.
He said that plans for 2009 estimate that the island will welcome 2.5 million foreign visitors and increase both revenues and profits for the sector.
In 2007 Cuba received more than 2 million tourists, generating revenues close to $2 billion.
Canada remained the chief source of tourists to the island with more than 800,000 people, accounting for 24.5 percent of the growth, followed by Italy, Spain and Britain.
http://www.eturbonews.com/6928/cuba-says-tourism-2-2008Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Jamaica-Cuba Joint Destination
| Jamaica and Cuba to sign tourism MoU | |||
| Published on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 | Email To Friend Print Version | ||
KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS): Jamaica will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cuba within the next few weeks, which will provide for joint destination marketing and airlift arrangements between the Caribbean island states.
"We started the negotiations, when the Foreign Affairs team, along with a team from my Ministry, visited Cuba again. about September, and we are ready now (to sign the MoU)," Bartlett explained. The Minister informed that the agreement will facilitate the "marrying" of both countries as destinations of choice for visitors. "Cuba has very strong European traffic at the moment. Perhaps 60 per cent of the Cuban traffic is out of Europe, for example, there are about 100,000 Italians that go to Cuba every year. The Europeans have the luxury of vacation time. they get three weeks or more," he said, noting that they could spent some of them time in Cuba and Jamaica. Bartlett advised that Jamaica Vacations (JamVac), an agency of the Tourism Ministry, which has responsibility for developing new travel gateways for Jamaica, will be working with entities that co-ordinate flights out of Europe into Cuba, to facilitate code sharing arrangements with Air Jamaica. In the meantime, he said that Jamaica could benefit from the possible lifting of the United States' economic embargo on Cuba. "Jamaica and Cuba, as you know, enjoy a good relationship, and in our marketing, we have looked beyond the opening up of Cuba, and. completed (the) Memorandum of Understanding. We see Cuba's opening, not as a threat, but as an opportunity for co-marketing and for regional cooperation," Bartlett stated. | |||
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
American Society of Travel Agents Addresses Obama
ASTA Calls on New Administration to Lift
Requests that President-Elect Obama Support Americans’ Freedom to Travel
In a letter dated Dec. 4, 2008, ASTA and a host of organizations from across the business community formally requested that the incoming Obama administration make immediate changes to
“ASTA has long supported the principle that Americans ought to be allowed to travel across the globe without restriction,” said Chris Russo, ASTA’s president and chair. “While the
“Were the American people allowed to travel to
Russo continued: “Beyond the obvious economic opportunities awaiting both countries if current travel restrictions were to be lifted, these changes would also benefit
ASTA is committed to work with its allies from within and outside the travel and tourism industry to make the case for these policy changes, and it looks forward to working with the incoming Obama administration and the 111th Congress to ensure that Americans are free to travel the world without restriction from their own government.
For additional information on this issue, please visit ASTA.org or contact Colin Tooze, vice president of government affairs, at ctooze@asta.org.
The mission of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) is to facilitate the business of selling travel through effective representation, shared knowledge and the enhancement of professionalism. ASTA seeks a retail travel marketplace that is profitable and growing and a rewarding field in which to work, invest and do business
Monday, December 8, 2008
Cuban tourism surges as rest of Caribbean stalls
By AP | Dec 08, 2008
Havana — Cuba's vacation industry has remained as hot as the tropical sun here, even as the world economic crisis sparks cancellations and layoffs elsewhere in the Caribbean.
The communist country says it's booked solid through December and expects a record 2.34 million visitors this year — largely because global financial woes have so far been softer on Canada, its top source of visitors.
Luck also played a role: While the island suffered three devastating hurricanes, its key tourist sites were largely spared. And where beachfront resorts did get hit, the tourist-hungry government has made sure to repair hotels — in some cases even before damaged homes and infrastructure. Tourism is Cuba's second-largest source of foreign income, behind nickel production.
So while other islands in the region are laying off hotel workers and suspending construction of new property, Cuban resorts are gearing up for a strong season.
"We've had a few cancellations, but overall our numbers are still strong," said David Gregori of WowCuba, a travel agency in Charlottetown, Canada, that specializes in bicycle trips and other Cuba tours. "People still like to get away. They might try to save some money while doing it, but they're still traveling."
The number of foreign visitors has swelled nearly 11 percent this year, making up for 4 and 3 percent declines in 2006 and 2007, government figures show.
Officials offer no explanation for those slower years. But tour operators blame the island's low returning-visitor rates: Some tourists complain of poor service, crumbling infrastructure and lousy food, indicative of a communist system where shortages are common and state employees are unaccustomed to putting customer service first.
Still, the island is often cheaper than its subtropical neighbors, because many foreigners buy all-inclusive packages offering dozens of direct flights from Europe and Canada to airports all over Cuba, as well deep discounts on hotels, food and booze.
Others are enticed by the prospect of seeing one of only five communist countries left on the planet.
"A lot of people who are going for simple fly-and-flop holiday, and there are others who are going for history and culture, dancing, music," said Julia Hendry, marketing director for Europe and the United Kingdom of the Bahamas-based Caribbean Trade Organization. Cuba has both, she said, "whether it's swimming and beach or the excitement of Old Havana and Cuban history."
About 35 percent of this year's tourists have been Canadian, with 635,000 visiting through September, one-fifth more than in the same period last year. Canada's economy has not suffered the same losses now sapping the savings of homeowners in the U.S.
Russian tourists rose 40 percent to top 28,000 thru September, and Cuban Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero traveled to Moscow last month to further promote his country.
Visitors from Britain, Italy, Spain and Germany, the top suppliers of tourists after Canada, declined between 3 and 5 percent respectively, however.
Washington's trade embargo prohibits Americans from visiting, though island immigration records show about 41,000 came last year, many presumably without permission. But not relying on U.S. tourists may now be a blessing.
"Canadians are going to keep coming, especially with snow at home," said Helen Lueke of Sherwood Park, Canada, who has vacationed in Havana about once a year for decades.
Alexis Trujillo, Cuba's deputy secretary of tourism, predicted full bookings at least through next summer.
"There's no doubt tourism is always sensitive to everything," he said of global economic turmoil. "But we don't think that for Cuba that will mean an important decrease."
Tourism generated $2.2 billion for Cuba in 2007. The government has announced no plans to delay a $185 million plan to upgrade more than 200 resorts and build 50 boutique hotels by 2010 — not even after Hurricanes Gustav, Ike and Paloma hit within two months, causing more than $10 billion in damages and crippling farms and infrastructure across the countryside.
Construction crews assigned to vacation properties in Havana and elsewhere have largely continued working as normal since the storms.
In the eastern province of Holguin, the island's No. 3 tourist destination after Havana and the beach resort of Varadero, officials prioritized hotel repairs, trucking in workers to rebuild beachfront resorts. Holguin expects about 270,000 foreigners this year, about the same as 2007, despite scores of hurricane-related cancellations.
Havana's decaying yet picturesque historic district saw little damage, as did Varadero, 90 miles (140 kilometers) to the east, where white sand and warm, see-through surf has enticed everyone from Fidel Castro to Al Capone. A record million visitors are expected to stay in the town's 7,000 hotel rooms, which range in price from about $120 to $350 per night, with meals and open bar included.
Though European tour operators say sales have slowed since the financial crisis deepened in October, they expect trips to Cuba and some other Caribbean destinations to stay strong through the winter. Europeans are putting off short, side trips closer to home, but many families are still willing to splurge on once-a-year trips to the tropics, Hendry said.
"We have noticed that all-inclusive markets, where travelers can budget in advance, seem to be doing relative well. Cuba is quite well-populated with that sort of property," she said.
The industry could get another boast if President-elect Barack Obama keeps campaign promises to ease restrictions on Cuban Americans who want to visit their relatives on the island. Currently, those with family here can only come once every three years.
Nelson Gonzalez, a 56-year-old physical therapist, said his mechanic brother in Miami last came to visit in 2007. But his brother called the morning after the U.S. election to say he was reserving a seat on one of the many special charters that fly from the U.S. to Havana for the last week in January — confident Obama will ease family travel rules immediately after his Jan. 20 inauguration.
"When your family members reach a certain age, you don't know if in three more years everyone will still be here," said Gonzalez, who lives with his 80-year-old parents.
Though visiting family members spend less than tourists, Gregori said many Cuban Americans use his company to book rental cars in advance of visiting relatives.
But "if you want to rent a car in Havana in December, I don't have any," he said. "They've been sold out for months, and every year they get sold out earlier and earlier.
Havana — Cuba's vacation industry has remained as hot as the tropical sun here, even as the world economic crisis sparks cancellations and layoffs elsewhere in the Caribbean.
The communist country says it's booked solid through December and expects a record 2.34 million visitors this year — largely because global financial woes have so far been softer on Canada, its top source of visitors.
Luck also played a role: While the island suffered three devastating hurricanes, its key tourist sites were largely spared. And where beachfront resorts did get hit, the tourist-hungry government has made sure to repair hotels — in some cases even before damaged homes and infrastructure. Tourism is Cuba's second-largest source of foreign income, behind nickel production.
So while other islands in the region are laying off hotel workers and suspending construction of new property, Cuban resorts are gearing up for a strong season.
"We've had a few cancellations, but overall our numbers are still strong," said David Gregori of WowCuba, a travel agency in Charlottetown, Canada, that specializes in bicycle trips and other Cuba tours. "People still like to get away. They might try to save some money while doing it, but they're still traveling."
The number of foreign visitors has swelled nearly 11 percent this year, making up for 4 and 3 percent declines in 2006 and 2007, government figures show.
Officials offer no explanation for those slower years. But tour operators blame the island's low returning-visitor rates: Some tourists complain of poor service, crumbling infrastructure and lousy food, indicative of a communist system where shortages are common and state employees are unaccustomed to putting customer service first.
Still, the island is often cheaper than its subtropical neighbors, because many foreigners buy all-inclusive packages offering dozens of direct flights from Europe and Canada to airports all over Cuba, as well deep discounts on hotels, food and booze.
Others are enticed by the prospect of seeing one of only five communist countries left on the planet.
"A lot of people who are going for simple fly-and-flop holiday, and there are others who are going for history and culture, dancing, music," said Julia Hendry, marketing director for Europe and the United Kingdom of the Bahamas-based Caribbean Trade Organization. Cuba has both, she said, "whether it's swimming and beach or the excitement of Old Havana and Cuban history."
About 35 percent of this year's tourists have been Canadian, with 635,000 visiting through September, one-fifth more than in the same period last year. Canada's economy has not suffered the same losses now sapping the savings of homeowners in the U.S.
Russian tourists rose 40 percent to top 28,000 thru September, and Cuban Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero traveled to Moscow last month to further promote his country.
Visitors from Britain, Italy, Spain and Germany, the top suppliers of tourists after Canada, declined between 3 and 5 percent respectively, however.
Washington's trade embargo prohibits Americans from visiting, though island immigration records show about 41,000 came last year, many presumably without permission. But not relying on U.S. tourists may now be a blessing.
"Canadians are going to keep coming, especially with snow at home," said Helen Lueke of Sherwood Park, Canada, who has vacationed in Havana about once a year for decades.
Alexis Trujillo, Cuba's deputy secretary of tourism, predicted full bookings at least through next summer.
"There's no doubt tourism is always sensitive to everything," he said of global economic turmoil. "But we don't think that for Cuba that will mean an important decrease."
Tourism generated $2.2 billion for Cuba in 2007. The government has announced no plans to delay a $185 million plan to upgrade more than 200 resorts and build 50 boutique hotels by 2010 — not even after Hurricanes Gustav, Ike and Paloma hit within two months, causing more than $10 billion in damages and crippling farms and infrastructure across the countryside.
Construction crews assigned to vacation properties in Havana and elsewhere have largely continued working as normal since the storms.
In the eastern province of Holguin, the island's No. 3 tourist destination after Havana and the beach resort of Varadero, officials prioritized hotel repairs, trucking in workers to rebuild beachfront resorts. Holguin expects about 270,000 foreigners this year, about the same as 2007, despite scores of hurricane-related cancellations.
Havana's decaying yet picturesque historic district saw little damage, as did Varadero, 90 miles (140 kilometers) to the east, where white sand and warm, see-through surf has enticed everyone from Fidel Castro to Al Capone. A record million visitors are expected to stay in the town's 7,000 hotel rooms, which range in price from about $120 to $350 per night, with meals and open bar included.
Though European tour operators say sales have slowed since the financial crisis deepened in October, they expect trips to Cuba and some other Caribbean destinations to stay strong through the winter. Europeans are putting off short, side trips closer to home, but many families are still willing to splurge on once-a-year trips to the tropics, Hendry said.
"We have noticed that all-inclusive markets, where travelers can budget in advance, seem to be doing relative well. Cuba is quite well-populated with that sort of property," she said.
The industry could get another boast if President-elect Barack Obama keeps campaign promises to ease restrictions on Cuban Americans who want to visit their relatives on the island. Currently, those with family here can only come once every three years.
Nelson Gonzalez, a 56-year-old physical therapist, said his mechanic brother in Miami last came to visit in 2007. But his brother called the morning after the U.S. election to say he was reserving a seat on one of the many special charters that fly from the U.S. to Havana for the last week in January — confident Obama will ease family travel rules immediately after his Jan. 20 inauguration.
"When your family members reach a certain age, you don't know if in three more years everyone will still be here," said Gonzalez, who lives with his 80-year-old parents.
Though visiting family members spend less than tourists, Gregori said many Cuban Americans use his company to book rental cars in advance of visiting relatives.
But "if you want to rent a car in Havana in December, I don't have any," he said. "They've been sold out for months, and every year they get sold out earlier and earlier.
Friday, December 5, 2008
CUBA predicts 2.34 million tourists in 2008
Cuba consolidated as Caribbean destination
• The island is hoping to receive in excess of 2.34 million tourists this year
• FOR the fifth consecutive year, Cuba has already surpassed the two-million foreign visitors mark for this year, announced the Ministry of Tourism in a statement in which it highlighted the fact that on this particular occasion, the important target was reached on November 14, much earlier than in previous years.
These two million visitors have secured Cuba’s position as the preferred Caribbean destination and this reaffirm the recognition on the part of tourists who come to the island of its friendliness and delights and its people, including its culture, history, healthcare services, nature, safety, hospitality and quality.
This figure is even more relevant in a year in which the country has been lashed by three fierce hurricanes, testing Cuba’s organizational and response capacities in the face of such situations in order to guarantee the safety of every individual. In a short space of time, the island has managed to get back on its feet and reopen all the affected tourist resorts.
Tourism in Cuba has witnessed an accumulated growth of 10.7% compared to the same period last year, added the Ministry statement.
On celebrating the arrival of the two millionth tourist, we are also at the start of the 2008-2009 winter season and Cuba now has more rooms than ever available, with a greater level of comfort, guaranteed supplies and the same friendly treatment as always.
Destination Cuba maintains the challenge of continuing to elevate its standards of quality, prioritizing diversification of tourist options, continuing to work on the integration of culture and tourism and demonstrating to the world the potential of a destination that also possesses nature and wildlife, cities noted for their heritage, cultural and historical values and a hospitable population.
The Ministry of Tourism is confident of exceeding the figure of 2.34 million visitors by the end of 2008. (Lilliam Riera) •http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2008/diciembre/juev4/49visitantes.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
