Cuba: A year after big speech, what’s changed?

Renee Radabaugh, President & CEO of Cultural Explorations Cuba discusses the impact politics has had on travel to Cuba.

By: Antonio Fins

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla – June 15, 2018 – A year after President Donald Trump came to South Florida to announce he was “canceling” his predecessor’s “one-sided deal with Cuba,” not much seems to have changed. “What it did was make people think, ‘I can’t go to Cuba,’” said Renee Radabaugh, CEO of Paragon Events, a Delray Beach agency that offers Cuba tours. “But it really didn’t change much as far as people-to-people exchanges.”

New Cuba policy is actually fueling business, some travel providers say

Cultural Explorations Cuba comments on new Cuba policies

By: Arlene Satchell, Sun Sentinel

DELRAY BEACH, Fla – August 4, 2018 – Americans still have an appetite for Cuba even as some travel and business avenues with the Communist-run island will disappear in the coming months under President Donald Trump’s more restrictive economic policies toward Havana.

This Is The Ultimate Travel Bucket List For 2018

Cuba listed as a must-see destination in 2018

By: Alexandra Talty, Forbes

April 17, 2018 – FlightNetwork, an online travel publication, polled over 800 journalists, bloggers, agencies and editors for their top destinations and compiled them into this list of 50 epic experiences. (Full disclosure: I was one of the travel gurus surveyed for this list, but none of my picks made the cut.)

The World’s Ultimate Bucket List for 2018

Cuba named one of top 50 destinations and experiences for avid travellers in 2018

By: Travel Weekly

April 17, 2018 – Flight Network has assembled a diverse collection of hidden gem locations and exhilarating activities from every stunning corner of our planet in their new world’s ultimate bucket list. And while we’d happily pack our bags and tackle this list, we’re tied down at home by our dog. For those that aren’t, the list contains the best destinations and experiences for avid travellers in 2018.

The Ultimate Travel Bucket List

Cuba listed as #42 destination to cross of 2018 bucket list.

By: David Sim, MSN

April 20, 2018 – From the wildlife wonders of an African safari to the non-stop partying of Rio Carnival, there’s something for every traveler. Whether your dream vacation involves exploring the ancient temples of Cambodia, sleeping under the stars in the Sahara, or paddling a dugout canoe through the Amazon rainforest, this list will inspire you to pack your bags and book the next flight out.

This is the world’s ultimate bucket list for 2018

Havana, Cuba and Cultural Explorations Cuba featured on top places to travel to in 2018

By: Erene Oberholzer, The South African

April 20, 2018 – From France to Zimbabwe…from South Africa to Brazil, this bucket list has it all. Check out the world’s ultimate bucket list set up by Flight Network and 800 of the world’s leading travel journalists, agencies, bloggers and editors.

The World’s Ultimate Bucket List for 2018

Cultural Explorations Cuba featured on World’s Ultimate Bucket List for 2018

A city seemingly lost in time and soaked in old world history, Havana welcomes visitors with charm, vibrant people, and colorful architecture. Hop in an old-school car and cruise this incredible city with a guide for a personalized tour. First, start in historic Havana, which echoes its past as the crossing point between the New World and the Old World for the Spanish Galleons in 1519. The bright colors of the city — from pastel blues to sunshine yellows — adorn the streets and act as a watercolor map calling for exciting exploration.

Who’s Speaking at BizBash Live: Florida

Renee Radabaugh, President & CEO of Cultural Explorations Cuba Speaks on Travel Updates

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – May 7, 2018 – Addressing topics such as why shorter events may be smarter events, sponsorship best practices, and engaging multicultural audiences, the speakers at BizBash Live: Florida will cover issues important to a variety of event professionals.

The Southern Food & Beverage Museum Goes to Cuba

Cultural Explorations hosts Epicurean – an exclusive culinary quest through Havana

By: Liz Williams

NEW ORLEANS, La. – July 7, 2016 – SoFAB sponsored a spectacular culinary trip to Cuba and I am only just back.  Besides having fallen in love with the island, I also came under the spell of my fellow visitors to Cuba.  There was no one on the trip that I wanted to leave on the side of the road.  And that doesn’t happen every time you travel.  So first let me say “Hats off!” to the rest of the tour goers – you know who you are!

Cultural Explorations Cuba Arranges Private Reception at the U.S. Ambassador’s Residence in Havana

Local travel provider to offer an elite travel experience to Cuba

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – May 12, 2016 – Cultural Explorations Cuba’s latest client, a group of 81 wealth management travelers, were invited for a special tour and cocktail hour at the residence of Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis in Havana, Cuba. DeLaurentis, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, is the Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba. Cultural Explorations is proud to be the first U.S. tour operator to be involved in something so cutting edge in the newly accessible island nation.

Cultural Explorations Cuba is listed as Fodor’s Travel Top Tour Operator

Top Cuba Tour Operators

Cultural Explorations Cuba. This operator offers an array of weeklong tours of the island with general themes. However, Cultural Explorations Cuba truly shines in its specialty tours that delve into Cuban art, churches, Judaism, cuisine, or LGBT issues. They’ve also entered the nascent meetings-and-incentives market in Cuba and can organize conferences and seminars for U.S.-based businesses and organizations. Standard cultural-exchange activities must be incorporated into such stays to satisfy people-to-people requirements.

Cultural Explorations Cuba Featured in the May 2016 Issue of American Salon Magazine

Behind the Cover: Making History

By: Marianne Dougherty

Cultural Explorations Cuba in Delray Beach, FL took care of everything – from managing the documentation required to allow us to enter the country to arranging a model call with a local agency and introducing us to a well-known Cuban fashion designer Jose Luis Gonzalez, silversmith Rosana Vargas and Papito, arguably the most famous barber in Havana. It was an ambitious undertaking.

Guide to Havana – Where to Eat?

Best places to eat in the Havana area.

By: Condé Nast Traveler

The best food is to be found at the paladares, unofficial restaurants in private homes, which are not endorsed by the government. However, recommendations about specific venues are not reliable, because they open and close (voluntarily or otherwise) frequently. The following restaurants have been around for years and look set to stay…

Cuba wants to build 110,000 hotel rooms by 2030

The Minister of Tourism of the island in the Caribbean announced its intention to develop 85,000 rooms over the next five years, and 110,000 by the year 2030.

By: Hospitality On

Cuba wishes to develop its hotel supply to meet the growing demand of tourists. The island’s Minister of Tourism (Mintur) announced the desire to add 85,000 rooms to the market over the next five years, and 110,000 by 2030.

Group Meeting Trends – 2015 and 2016

New Travel Locations for Groups and Meetings!

By: Chaunsea Keller

As you may have heard, Cuba is becoming a hot destination for American travelers. It is not open yet in the sense that you can just jump on board and fly there, however with the correct tour company, you are able to take your group there! At the end of 2014 and going into effect in January 2015, The United States and Cuba made the exciting announcement that there had been a revival of diplomatic relations between the two countries. As a result of the meeting, the travel restrictions to Cuba were still implemented, however, less severe. Certain travel restrictions still apply, however travel there is now allowed for many reasons, and one being professional meetings. There are a few bonded companies that can take your group to Cuba. The two that are known throughout the meetings industry and that are licensed are Cuba Explorations (www.cubaexplorations.com) and…

Treasury and Commerce Announce Further Amendments to the Cuba Sanctions Regulations

Amendments Further Implement President Obama’s 2014 Announcement
Related to the Easing of Cuba Sanctions

By: U.S. Department of the Treasury

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Commerce are announcing additional revisions to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR), building off the changes put into place by Treasury and Commerce on January 16, 2015 and further delivering on the new direction toward U.S. relations with Cuba that President Obama laid out last December.  The changes, consistent with the President’s December announcement, will take effect on Monday, September 21, 2015, when the regulations are published in the Federal Register.  A fact sheet detailing the revisions, which will be administered by Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), is below.

These 5 Facts Explain the Economic Upsides of an Opened Cuba

The Caribbean country could be the next frontier of global business

By: Ian Bremmer – Time Magazine

1. Money flowing home

One of the immediate benefits of renewed relations with Cuba is the increase in permitted remittance flows. The most recent figures put annual cash remittances to Cuba at approximately $5.1 billion, a level greater than the four fastest growing sectors of the Cuban economy combined. Now, permitted remittance levels from the U.S. will be raised fourfold, from $2,000 to $8,000 per year. This will help drive an increase in spending power in Cuba, which is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 4.6% through this decade. For global companies seeking a foothold anywhere they can, more money in the pockets of Cubans means more fuel for expansion. Take Coca-Cola. With an open Cuba, Coke could be legally be sold in every country in the world save one: North Korea.

Why Some Groups are Choosing Cuba for Their Next Event

With travel restrictions easing, some adventurous planners are taking their events to the Caribbean island where immersive, experiential excursions create a unique opportunity for guests.

By: Mitra Sorrells

MIAMI, Fla. – Chris Wezel, co-founder of hospitality marketing company E-Pro Direct, selects unusual destinations for his company’s annual retreats because he believes a unique experience can spark creative thinking and bonding among his 10 team members. Past trips have taken them to the Ice Hotel in Sweden and to the rainforest in Costa Rica.

“It’s become a big part of our company’s culture. We want to give our people an experience they will never forget, something they might never do on their own,” Wezel says. This summer the weeklong retreat will take place in Cuba, a destination that is seeing a surge in interest since the United States government eased travel restrictions in mid-January.