How will new restrictions affect yacht charters in Cuba?

By Katia Damborsky 7 June 2019

The US government has clamped down on travel to Cuba, throwing up plenty of questions about the future of yacht charters in the Caribbean island nation.

Earlier this week, the Trump administration announced a fresh ban on US group travel to Cuba, impacting cruise liners and other forms of recreational travel to the island.

US officials have said the new rules will penalise Cuba’s communist regime.“These actions will help to keep U.S. dollars out of the hands of Cuban military, intelligence, and security services.” Said Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, in a statement.

The statement also claims that Cuba is “propping up U.S. adversaries in places like Venezuela."

Is this a new ban?

Restrictions on travel to Cuba have long been in place, but the Obama administration most recently loosened the ban with 12 categories of legal travel.

The ‘People-to-People and Educational Activities' category, which focused on creating direct contact with Cuban people through culture, was often used to permit cruise liners and private yachts visiting Cuba.

However, many critics claimed that this policy was essentially tourism, which is illegal, and this has prompted the US government to remove this category of legal travel. This new restriction came into effect on Wednesday (5th June).

However, 11 other categories still exist, and many travel officials have said that it may be possible for US groups to visit the island if they obtain a permit for one of these categories of legal travel.

The ‘Support for the Cuban People’ category of legal travel

It has been suggested that the ‘Support for the Cuban people’ category may be the best option for those looking to travel to Cuba. It is unclear whether this can be applied to charter yachts.

This category differs from the former ‘People to People and Educational Activites’ category. In order to comply with this category, visitors will need to participate in and support independent activities that could strengthen civil society in Cuba.

This ranges from engaging in activities organised by recognised human-rights groups, to shopping in independent shops and meeting with local business-owners including artists, musicians, tobacco vendors, filmmakers and so on.

To adhere to the rules of this category, visitors will also need to avoid all military-owned businesses of Cuba.

The other categories of legal travel include family visits for Cuban-Americans, journalism, professional research, religious activities, humanitarian projects and athletic competitions.

Those visiting Cuba under this category will need to apply for a Cuban tourism card. If visitors don’t comply with the rules set out under the ‘Support for Cuban people’ category, is it believed they may face legal action.

Visitors are advised to keep records, such as receipts and itineraries, to be able to prove the nature of their visit.

While it is still unclear how these regulations will affect private yacht charters in Cuba, those considering visiting the island nation by boat will need to apply for a cruising permit.

YachtCharterFleet will be sure to keep you updated as this story develops.