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The US Government,under President Obama, promised to relax regulations which restricted travel between the US and Cuba and limited the transfer of money between both countries.

Last week the US treasury said that Cuban-Americans can now visit a wider range of relatives as regularly as they wish and spend up to $180 a day. This is an increase from the previous limit of $50 a day. Additionally, visits by Cuban-Americans will no longer be limited to just one per year.

This is a significant and historic move which some say will open the door for an estimated 1.5M Cuban–Americans to travel freely between the two countries.

While the White House lifted travel restrictions for Cuban–Americans, what if all Americans were allowed to visit Cuba…

Politics aside, that possibility should be explored….

Some studies predict that as many as two million Americans would vacation in Cuba following the end of the travel restriction.  In 2002, Florida State’s Tourism Board issued a cautionary report that that one in five Florida vacationers would pick Cuba over the Sunshine State if given a choice.

As a result, Florida is updating its “Cuba Strategic Marketing Plan” to address the growing attention Cuba is getting from Florida’s tourism industry. That potential has the Sunshine State studying how to prepare its top industry for an American tourism boom 90 miles away from its shores.

It’s safe to say there will be demand by Americans to see an island that has not been available to them for 50 years.

What will happen to other Caribbean destinations that rely on their tourism industries? Will they be affected?  There a many factors to answering this question but one thing destinations should not do is ignore it.  A well-thought out strategy and communications plan that clearly outlines that destinations’ strengths and unique attributes is needed now more than ever.