Cuba on Pace for Record Tourism in 2012, Officials Say

Most Americans still can’t visit, but Cuba is on pace for record tourism in 2012, island officials say. Through late August, the Caribbean island hosted 2 million visitors, up 5 percent from the same period last year, Cuban government officials said.

Canada was the top source of visitors, followed by the United Kingdom, Argentina, France Italy and Germany, according to government reports.

Cuba has been banking on tourism to boost its struggling economy and looking to cruises for growth. A European tall-ship sailing company, Star Clippers, recently announced plans to start cruises from southern Cuba.

U.S. citizens are barred from spending money in Cuba under the five-decade old U.S. embargo against the communist-led island. However, the U.S. Treasury Department authorizes some types of travel including humanitarian trips, research and people-to-people exchanges.

The Obama administration also allows Cuban-Americans to visit as often as they wish, in a humanitarian gesture.

Charter flights to Cuba now depart from Fort Lauderdale and other cities in addition to long-time U.S. gateways in Miami and New York.