The average American needs one of several special licenses to visit Cuba. One of those encourages "people-to-people" exchanges. Valarie D'Elia filed this report.
"I had people invite me to their house and the moment they found out I was from Miami, that I was the first one back in 50 years, very, very—they were…the word is cariñoso, very loving," says Cuban-American visitor Gabriel Lissarrague.
One of the twelve categories of travel to Cuba that allows average Americans to visit the Caribbean country is known as "people-to-people."
"Any organization can arrange a trip to Cuba, just needs a full schedule of people-to-people interchanges and exchanges when they are in Cuba, and that’s what we arrange. We arrange those kinds of meetings with students, artists, health care workers," says Bob Guild of Marazul Charters.
Blatant touristy stuff, such as simply sipping Mojitos and soaking up the sun, don’t cut it. For many, it’s little sacrifice.
"People-to-people—that works in every country, because when we go to any country we should go with an open mind, accepting people’s culture," Lissarrague says.
Cuban-American Millennial Gabriel Lissarrague recently visited Cuba on a cruise from Montego Bay, under a general license from the non-profit Fund for Reconciliation and Development, the sponsoring organization to which he paid a $75 fee.
In return, he and other Americans were strongly urged to partake in one-on-one meetings with the Cuban staff onboard the ship.
"I see a lot more interest in the passengers all the time asking about Cuba, what’s happening in Cuba, how we survive, our salary, our economy, our freedom," says Cuban lecturer Jorge Arocha.
Other people-to-people exchanges include cultural performances, meeting with musicians and artists to gain insight into their lives.
As part of the Treasury Department rules, visitors under a general license via land or sea, must keep an accurate record of their trip and hold onto it for at least five years.