Cuba Travel Services From the U.S. Put on Hold Due to New Restrictions

President Obama's authorized people-to-people programs that allowed Americans to travel into Cuba as a way to boost the American's engagement with Cubans has been put on hold with more stringent regulations.

Historically, there was a five year embargo in which Americans were not allowed to travel into Cuba from the U.S. The program "people-to-people" allowed Americans to travel into Cuba for educational exchanges. Now, many organizations are without a word on whether or not they will be allowed to continue their educational tours to Cuba and that their people-to-people licenses will be approved.

Jeff Braunger, program manager for Cuba Travel Licensing under the Treasury Department told the Detroit Free Press that "we have issued approximately 140 people-to-people licenses. We are doing our best to process both first-time applications and requests to renew existing licenses. We receive numerous such requests which are being handled in turn. It is our goal to respond in a timely matter.''

However almost no organizations with previous people-to-people licenses have received renewals and many advertised trips have been canceled.

Basically companies and organizations that work within the people-to-people program are left waiting. Jim Friedlander who is the president of Academic Arrangements Abroad, said to the Detroit Free Press, "we work with about 30 different non-profit organizations that have programs to Cuba in next 12 months, and 100% of them have not received renewals of licenses."

With the embargo against Cuba, many Americans have never visited the country unless they had a family or religious visa. Under U.S. rules the people-to-people exchange have to have full time scheduled educational activities. When reports of abuse surfaced in May the Treasury department tightened the regulations of the people-to-people initiative.

Now they require U.S. companies to provide not only a sample itinerary but also a representative for each tour to explain how the exhchange would enhance relationships and contact with Cubans as well as support civil society and promote the people of Cuba's independence.

With more stringent rules, many companies who have seeked renewals had to document every action and every minute of their past trips from the past year to prove that they weren't just promoting and engaging in everyday tourism and that it was an actual education exchange.