It is illegal for Cubans to own firearms. There are lots of police around who do not hesitate to intervene when they even think a Cuban national might be bothering a tourist in any way. The Cuban authorities take good care of their tourists. Lots of Europeans go there, as well as a few of us norteamericanos. Because of the US trade embargo and the fact that the Soviet Union no longer supports Cuba, tourism has become maybe the biggest business on the island. First, safety: Havana may be the safest large city on the planet. "tourists") can sign up with groups with which they have no legitimate affiliation, pay their money, do just enough P2P work to satisfy the requirements, and spend the rest of the time at the beach.
I have heard that people who just want to go there to visit Cuba (i.e. During our time there we met with, photographed with, and exchanged ideas about photography with a number of Cuban photographers. I am a photographer, so I traveled there with a group of other photographers. The idea is that if enough US citizens interact meaningfully with enough Cuban citizens they they will want a democratic republic like ours. These are typically organized by religious, arts, or other organizations that must provide an agenda showing legitimate and meaningful interactions between US and Cuban citizens. Several years ago the Obama administration loosened the travel restrictions on travel to Cuba, issuing licences for what are called "People to People" exchanges.
Aurora: ¡Claro qué sí, me encanta hablar de Cuba!Īs you probably know, US citizens cannot legally travel to Cuba purely for tourism (unless, of course, your names are Jay Z and Beyonce.) Many US citizens travel there through Canada, Mexico, or other countries, and risk the potential of a large fine if caught.