Americans Banned From Vacationing In Iconic Caribbean Island For 5 Years

It's not often you find another country in an exclusive club with North Korea, especially so close to home. Although that seems to be the case now, according to the White House, it adds to a short list of Americans' no-go zones.

Coming straight from D.C., it's been announced that Americans will be unable to vacation in one of the Caribbean's most instantly recognizable destinations.

Often considered the Caribbean's time capsule, unfortunately, that description doesn't only apply to vintage cars and rows of crumbly pastel marvels, but is more relevant for their political landscape as even when progress is made, somehow the full circle moment ends with a return to the same familiar challenges.

You've probably guessed by now that we're talking about Cuba, a stunning island nation closer to certain parts of America's mainland than to Mexico.

While it's not the most neighborly gesture to ban our own citizens from providing a much-needed economic boost, the official White House news release does go into detail explaining why Americans are banned from vacationing in Cuba for the next 5 years.

Same Lingo, New Enforcement, And A $250,000 Fine?

Well, so much for our prior report on Cuba's new entry requirements — sounds like you won't be needing them if you're a U.S. passport holder.

Straight from the top, one of the many bullet points released by the White House states that the recently signed National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) will essentially put a halt to the fun Americans could get away with venturing off to this vibrant, historic nation in past administrations.

“It enforces the statutory ban on U.S. tourism to Cuba and ensures compliance through regular audits and mandatory record-keeping of all travel-related transactions for at least five years.”

To make matters worse, I've personally seen multiple news sources in the past 24 hours reporting on the risk of being fined $250,000 for visiting Cuba for the purposes of tourism, which actually dates back to 1999 when the U.S. Department Of The Treasury began issuing civil penalties that have since had little to no enforcement.

While there's no specific mention of a fine in the new White house statement, the level of enforcement could be what's set to change as you've likely seen how this administration is already pulling out all the stops with unprecedented tactics tackling immigration less than half a year in office.

The Cuba Loophole: Does It Still Apply Under Trump?

I, like many other Americans, have visited Cuba since icy relations between Cuba and the U.S. began to thaw during the Obama administration by using a travel loophole that quickly caught when new flights were launching left and right to Havana in the 2010s.

There's a clear differentiation between traveling to Cuba and vacationing in Cuba.

Technically, I traveled to Cuba in 2017 in ‘support for the Cuban people', one of a dozen Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) approved categories to get what was formerly a rare Cuban passport stamp.

Here are all 12 categories still listed after the White House statement was issued by OFAC, the U.S. Embassy in Cuba, and the U.S. State Department:

• family visits
• official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and certain intergovernmental organizations
• journalistic activity (so, you're saying there's a chance?!)
• professional research and professional meetings
• educational activities; religious activities
• public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitions
• support for the Cuban people
• humanitarian projects; activities of private foundations or research or educational institutes
• exportation, importation, or transmission of information or informational materials
• certain authorized export transactions

Again, I opted for ‘support for the Cuban people' and stayed in an Airbnb to do just that. No questions were asked upon return, but I was expected to keep an itinerary of daily activities proving I wasn't on vacation per se.

Whether said activities took place or not…

But…things change. It sounds like the Trump administration is ready to drop the hammer on fellow loopholers, which is why the White House statement clearly pointed out ‘compliance through regular audits and mandatory record-keeping of all travel-related transactions for at least five years'.

Translation: keep receipts and don't tempt fate. There are plenty of other Caribbean destinations well worth a beach vacation without risking a possible fine equating to the cost of a condo.

Why Now?

Circling back to well-documented ICE raids taking place across the country, immigration has been one of the top focuses for our government.

Don't hate the messenger, but it seems this could be a strategic play to stoke the fire in Cuba's government to lessen visa overstays from Cuban citizens in the U.S as there's a paragraph titled, “Holding the Cuban Regime Accountable.”

Americans are a driving force in Cuba's tourism industry, and by taking business away, it gives the U.S. leverage (right or wrong).

Threatening economic homicide prevents economic suicide and possibly creates wiggle room in between as the White House does say at the end of the day, the goal is to promote a ‘stable, prosperous, and free Cuba.

It might seem like a roundabout way to get there, but us travelers can all hope this is just another unorthodox method displayed by politicians that will ultimately result in a positive revolution for all so we can truly support the wonderful Cuban people through cigar bars, rum tastings, late-night salsa dancing, historic tours, classic convertible rides, and incredibly pristine beaches, all while being welcomed by some of the most contagious hospitality you'll ever encounter.