Cuba Travel Inches Closer
By ANDREW MEADOWS
Tampa Tribube, FLORIDA
Published: Nov 2, 2003
TARPON SPRINGS - Ivar Fiskaa is preparing for the day U.S. citizens can openly travel to Cuba.
The Tarpon Springs travel agent began organizing tours to the island nation recently, even though a decades-old federal travel ban prohibits most Americans from going there.
... Fiskaa said contacts made now at hotels, restaurants and within the Cuban government will be invaluable. ``Once the travel ban is lifted, there is going to be a big rush to Cuba,'' said Fiskaa, who has spent about two years and $10,000 on his Cuba business plan. ``Cuba is going to be a major destination for people. It is going to be a major playground for Americans. It will help me.''
Last week, in a vote that signaled a shift in lawmakers' attitudes toward Cuba, the U.S. Senate voted to effectively eliminate the ban on travel. The House did the same earlier.
Although the measure is still in doubt - President Bush, a strong supporter of the ban, has vowed a veto - opponents say open travel to Cuba is inevitable.
Much more...
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