February 13, 2019: In November and December 2018, CREST distributed a survey to U.S. tour operators and survey providers that offer trips to Cuba. With this survey, CREST sought to update its existing data on U.S. people-to-people and educational travel to Cuba and learn how recent policy changes have impacted American travel to the island. In particular, CREST aimed to gather information on whether the State Department's change of its Cuba travel advisory rating in August 2018 had immediate positive impacts on travel. View the survey's key findings, which reveal that the majority of respondents expect travel bookings to Cuba to increase in 2019.
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August 6, 2018: As the State Department was reviewing its Cuba travel advisory in August 2018, CREST sent a letter to the Department advocating for changing the advisory rating from "Level 3: Reconsider Travel" to no more than "Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution." The letter provides a range of research and datapoints to support this recommendation. On August 23, the State Department changed the Cuba travel advisory rating from Level 3 to Level 2, a move applauded by the CREST's Cuba coalition.
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March 1, 2018: Six months after it had reduced the U.S. Embassy staff in Havana by 60 percent, the U.S. State Department was set to decide whether or not to re-staff the embassy. In anticipation of that decision, CREST circulated a petition to tour operators and educational travel companies, asking the department to re-staff the embassy and lower Cuba’s travel advisory from a 3 (“reconsider travel”) to at least a 2 (“exercise increased caution”). A press release about the petition revealed that 33 groups and businesses had signed it, and as news about the petition circulated, the number increased to 39. The State Department decided, however, not to re-staff, announcing, in a March 2 statement, that the embassy would continue to operate “with the minimum personnel necessary to perform core diplomatic and consular functions.”
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February 14, 2018: In January and February of 2018, CREST reached out to 156 U.S. tour operators and other service providers that have previously offered or currently offer trips to Cuba. View a press release covering the survey and key findings of the 42 responses received.
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Members of the Cuba Travel Advocacy Coalition have shared the following helpful resources to understanding what the current travel regulations mean and how you can still visit Cuba: