While most people don't consider Cuba when planning a vacation, it is a beautiful island country with white sandy beaches and sparkling Caribbean water.
Tourists from around the world flock to Cuba in
droves. More than 1.5 million people go to the island country for the
temperate weather, white sandy beaches, blue-green Caribbean waters,
fascinating history, and, of course, Cuban cigars!
Cuban cigars have long been a favorite with cigar
aficionados around the world. Known for their smooth taste and aroma,
Cuban cigars have also been the “forbidden fruit” for American citizens
affected by trade restrictions imposed on the communist nation in 1960.
So, too, have Americans been strictly denied travel to Cuba. No
commercial flights connect the United States with Cuba, and the Coast
Guard maintains a tight vigil in south Florida areas which are closest
to Cuba, stopping boats traveling in both directions. In this way, they
prevent American boats from setting out for Mexico, and also prevent
most of the Cuban exiles from reaching the United States. Cuban
Americans, of course, have voiced loud opposition to this tight
security.
Despite all the security, more Americans
are making the journey to the communist island country just 400 miles
off the coast of Florida. Estimates are that around 100,000 Americans
enter Cuba from a third country every year. Further estimates, as
reported in the L.A. Times April 1, 2009, are that upwards of 3 million
Americans would visit Cuba annually, creating 23,000 jobs in the
process, if travel sanctions were lifted. Economic opportunities in the
amount of $1.2 billion to $1.6 billion per year were also estimated,
based on a 2002 study by the Brattle Group, a Washington economic
consultancy.
For more information on Cuban cigars,
please visit Cohiba Cigars.
