By some estimates, when Cuba transitions to a market oriented economy and resolves its various disputes with the U.S., the island nation will require more than $50 billion of investment to modernize its economy. Recent improvements in U.S.-Cuba relations have opened up some avenues of economic cooperation in terms of both trade and investment, but … Read more
Habanos, SA, the global corporation for Cuban cigars, has announced the appointment of Ernesto Gonzalez as its new operational marketing director. Gonzalez comes to Habanos with more than 15 years of experience in the tobacco sector; he has previously held positions including General Director of the Infifon company; exclusive distributor for Habanos SA in Russia … Read more
Paquito D’Rivera defies categorization – the winner of fourteen Grammy Awards, he is celebrated both for his artistry in Latin jazz and his achievements as a classical composer. Born in Havana, Cuba, he performed at age 10 with the National Theater Orchestra, studied at the Havana Conservatory of Music and, at 17, became a featured … Read more
Since the U.S. eased restrictions for Americans traveling to Cuba, interest in visiting the once forbidden island-nation has skyrocketed. As a result, not only are more major airlines flying to Cuba’s key cities — but more cruise lines are sailing into Cuba’s ports everyday, giving curious travelers direct access to Cuba’s signature music, history, architecture … Read more
In the past year, it’s been hard to miss glimpses of charming Old Havana streets and her majestic skyline appear as a colorful backdrop for numerous high profile feature film, TV and concert events. With the détente between the U.S. and Cuba, American production companies and event planners have rushed in to seize on Cuba’s … Read more
As of March 2017, there were reports emanating from the Cuban government that premium gasoline would be rationed in the coming months. According to official Cuban data, the island nation’s economy fell 0.9% in 2016 despite significant increases in the travel and tourism sector. (Readers should note that the Cuban government tracks and publishes very … Read more
While U.S. pleasure boats are not restricted from sailing to and from Cuba, there are special rules that apply only to Cuba for vessels traveling between the U.S. and Cuba. Planning is critical to avoiding fines and/or seizure by the U.S. government whether the vessel is foreign or U.S. flagged. RELATED: Cuba Travel Guide Persons … Read more
Last year, the Obama administration further adjusted Cuba-specific restrictions on importing Cuban cigars for personal use. “For personal use” is important because it means you can bring them back in your luggage from your trip to Cuba (or elsewhere), but it remains illegal to sell Cuban cigars in the U.S. The tax free limit is … Read more
Americans traveling to Cuba have surged in the last year due to the relaxation of travel rules and the re-introduction of regular commercial air service between the two countries. Cuba is the only country in the world where Americans face travel restrictions. Americans can go to terrorist hot beds like North Korea and Saudi Arabia … Read more
Cuba’s vast coastline (40% longer than Florida’s) and diverse terrestrial features are just now being discovered by adventure travelers. The Adventure Travel Trade Association defines adventure tourism as a trip (travelling outside a person’s normal environment for more than 24 hours and not more than one consecutive year) that includes at least two of the … Read more
