Cuban diplomats visited South Florida

Posted on Tuesday, 11.12.13

Cuban diplomats visited South Florida
BY JUAN O. TAMAYO
JTAMAYO@ELNUEVOHERALD.COM

Two officials from Cuba's diplomatic mission in Washington visited the
Miami area quietly Monday to meet with companies that handle travel
between the island and the United States, according to travel industry
members.

Such visits are uncommon because Cuban diplomats must obtain permission
from the U.S. State Department before they can travel outside
Washington, and they usually try to avoid South Florida due to security
concerns.

Travel industry members said the two officials from the Cuban Interests
Section in Washington held routine meetings in Miami Monday with many of
the companies that offer travel services to the island, to discuss the
state of the businesses.

The December holidays kick off Cuba's high tourism season. Last year, 3
million people visited the island, including about 476,000 Cuban
Americans and an estimated 98,000 other U.S. residents on so-called
"people-to-people" trips.

Some of the companies at the meetings reported that the business is
growing crowded because the Cuban and U.S. governments have approved new
firms despite a drop in travelers, said the industry members, who asked
for anonymity in order to speak frankly.

Havana reported a 2 percent drop in overall international arrivals in
the first six months of this year, compared to the same period in 2012.

The industry members said the meetings with the visiting Cuban officials
also touched on the people-to-people trips, which they said had begun to
fall off because of costs that can run up to $700 and $800 per day.

President Barack Obama approved the people-to-people trips in 2010 to
promote "purposeful engagement" between Cubans and U.S. residents who
are not Cuban Americans. The visits cannot legally include any tourist
activities.

Most of the people-to-people visitors so far have been older, well-off
Americans who want to learn about the island but are unlikely to make
return trips, according to one of the travel industry members.

The member said the two Cuban visitors also asked about a new system put
in place by the Cuban diplomatic mission in Washington to expedite the
issuance of the visas required of Cuban Americans for travel to the island.

The two diplomats left Miami Tuesday. The travel industry members
declined to give their names.

Armando Bencomo and Llanio González, both diplomats with the Cuban
mission in Washington, visited South Florida in July to brief travel
companies and others on the changes in migration regulations adopted on
the island on Jan. 14.

Source: "Cuban diplomats visited South Florida - Cuba - MiamiHerald.com"
-
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/11/12/3749358/cuban-diplomats-visited-south.html#storylink=misearch