ASTA Supports Lifting All Cuba Travel Restrictions As House Budget Bill Vote Draws Near
by Richard D’Ambrosio /Downtown Havana Photo: famouswonders
The American Society of Travel Agents is urging travel agents to contact their House representatives, seeking enough support for a financial services bill amendment that would lift the so-called Cuba travel ban.
The U.S. government has been gradually relaxing travel restrictions to Cuba since December 2014, though general tourist travel to Cuba, however, remains banned. A group of house representatives have introduced an amendment to a financial services appropriations bill that will end the ban for one year. The amendment could be voted on as soon as tonight. A similar Senate bill passed last week.
“ASTA has long believed that Americans ought to be allowed to travel across the globe without restriction, allowing them to act as ambassadors of freedom and American values abroad,” said ASTA president and CEO Zane Kerby.
After the House and Senate bills pass their respective versions of the bill, a “conference committee” will reconcile differences between the two bills and present final legislation to the President for his signature or veto.