Cuba travel interest down one year after US lifts restrictions

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When the U.S. lifted travel restrictions to Cuba a year ago, it seemed there was instant and widespread interest in visiting the county. Now, travel insurance provider Allianz Global Assistance says that interested is waning. 

“Our survey found that merely two percent of Americans think they will go to Cuba in the next six months, two percent believe they will make it there by the end of 2017 and 10 percent think they will go sometime in 2018,” said Daniel Durazo, director of communications at Allianz Global Assistance USA. 

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Initially, the study showed, Americans were concerned with safety and the country’s communist government. 

“Instead, lack of information on Cuba’s travel experiences, travel infrastructure and internet/mobile connectivity are the factors making Americans less interested and likely to travel to Cuba,” a spokesperson for Allianz Global Assistance said in a press release. 

Beach resorts remain the biggest attraction for prospective travelers. The country’s cultural attractions, products — including food and rum — and people-watching are, respectively, the rest of factors drawing in tourists. 

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Despite these recent reports, cruise liners are offering more sailings to Cuba. Durazo said this may eventually increase travel interest again.

“It will be interesting to see how (cruise travel) affects visitors’ interest,” he said in a prepared statement. “It may be having initial effects as Allianz’s cruise survey from earlier in the year showed that 17 percent of Americans felt the recent announcements of cruise lines adding sailings to Cuba made them more interested in visiting the country.”

Several U.S. airlines launched direct flights to a handful of Cuban cities in August 2016, but its not as easy as you think. Here’s what you need to know to plan your own trip to Cuba.

Media: MediaOS Video

See the video above for travel tips for visiting Cuba.