U.S. Travelers to Cuba Takes Nosedive

The number of United States travelers to Cuba has dropped drastically over the past year reported Monday the Miami press.

The alarming 60 percent reduction is a direct consequence of tougher restrictions imposed on dealings with the island by President George W. Bush´s administration in a bid to “promote a democratic transition on the island.”

For Cuba, the fall in the number of visitors from the US translates into the loss of $95 million worth of revenue, but also has a cost for U.S.-based airlines and travel businesses money, adds the newspaper.

In the past twelve months, according to official figures, some 55,000 people traveled from the United States to Cuba, about 35.7 percent of the number that had been visiting the island annually before the new travel restrictions went into effect in June 2004.

The U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council estimates some 154,000 people traveled legally to Cuba in 2003, some 85 percent for family reasons.

About 23,000 visited the island under specific licenses for business, religious functions, cultural and sports exchanges, and as members of humanitarian groups.