Productive Meeting between Cuban President, U.S. Entrepreneurs

The sides discussed the potential for those entities dedicated to travel between Cuba and the United States, and referred to the need to eliminate the prohibitions which hinder Americans from freely visiting the neighboring nation

The meeting of Cuba”s President Miguel Diaz-Canel with U.S. businessmen from the travel sector was excellent and very profitable, said on Friday the president of the U.S.-Cuba Business Council, Carlos Gutierrez.

In statements to Prensa Latina, he spoke of how he was impressed by the participants’ passion. Representatives of tourism companies came, he said, some who are already doing business with the island and others who are interested.

Many people in the United States want the normalization of relations between Washington and Havana, he added.

The meeting with the Cuban President and the fact he has dedicated some time to talk to us is very good and helps a lot, as well as the fact that from here we talk about normalization, stressed Gutierrez.

In spite of the obstacles, tourism is going on and cruise ships are still licensed to operate, he observed, but the issue is how to continue moving forward.

That’s why in the meeting at the Marriott Marquis hotel in New York, it was highlighted that the tourism sector needs inputs from other industries and that would give the opening to take other companies, Gutierrez explained.

All this still requires a lot of formalities, but the important thing is to keep pushing, he stressed.

Gutierrez also pointed out that while the impulse that existed when diplomatic relations were re-established has diminished, travel to the island is not totally prohibited, even though it is a complicated process and requires more and more procedures.

The number of travelers to Cuba from the U.S. has grown in recent times and people already see that you can travel to the island, and this is different from the perception published in some media, he said.

Since Monday, Diaz-Canel has developed a broad bilateral agenda at the UN, and also has met with U.S. representatives and businessmen, as well as with local authorities in New York.

On Friday, The Cuban President talked about the opportunities existing on Cuba with senior officials of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. travel industry.

The sides discussed the potential for those entities dedicated to travel between Cuba and the United States, and referred to the need to eliminate the prohibitions which hinder Americans from freely visiting the neighboring nation.

According to official figures, more than 400,000 Cubans residing in the United States and more than 600,000 Americans visited the island in 2017, but the following year, as a result of the misleading travel alert, this influx decreased by around 20 percent.

Still, the numbers remain above the 300,000 Americans who arrive in Cuba.