Chicago-based travel site launches Web campaign seeking to overturn the
U.S. government's longtime travel restrictions to Cuba
By Julie Johnsson | Tribune reporter
May 10, 2009
Blending commerce with politics, Chicago's Orbitz Worldwide is launching
a campaign this week aimed at getting Congress to reverse a law that
prohibits travel to Cuba for most U.S. citizens and green-card holders.
Starting Sunday through a Web site at www.opencuba.org, Orbitz visitors
can petition the White House, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and
members of Congress to eliminate the decades-old trade and travel
restrictions.
American airlines, cruise and tour operators are eager to launch travel
to the Caribbean's largest island, known for distinctive architecture,
friendly people and stunning beaches.
President Barack Obama raised their hopes by encouraging a dialogue with
Cuba's communist regime and by removing restrictions on family visits by
Cuban-Americans enacted by his predecessor.
But it is by no means assured that Congress will take the next step and
repeal the Kennedy-era ban on travel, which remains a prickly political
issue. The Obama administration isn't pushing Congress to act on the
measure, and opponents say it would be folly to do so without
significant reforms by Cuba.
Borrowing a page from the Obama presidential campaign, Orbitz is trying
to build grass-roots support for opening travel to the island by
appealing directly to the 14 million monthly visitors to its Web site.
"We want to organize our customers and other interested parties to reach
out to Obama and other government officials," said Barney Harford, 37,
the energetic president and chief executive of Orbitz.
A British national, Harford became enamored with Cuban culture and music
during a 1997 trip to Havana and surrounding areas. "This is a magical
country," he said.
Orbitz created its Cuba campaign in Internet speed. Energized by a White
House visit with the president in March, Harford decided to rally his
company behind a social cause and selected Cuba. His engineers built the
Web site in just two weeks.
In its haste, Orbitz hasn't solicited support from Cuban-American
leaders, although Harford says that is next on its agenda.
And it risks being seen as exploitative, since Orbitz is prohibited from
selling travel to Cuba and stands to profit should the ban be lifted.
Those who lobby via the new site will receive a $100 coupon toward a
Cuba vacation. It would be redeemable if the travel ban is lifted and
flights and tour packages can be sold legally by Orbitz, the
second-largest online travel agency.
"There certainly will be some who position what Orbitz is doing as a
crass example of corporate marketing at the expense of those in Cuba who
are not free to travel, not free to have access to the Internet to voice
their opinion," said John Kavulich, senior policy adviser for the
U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council, which provides commercial
information about Cuba.
"There's a risk that there may be backlash from narrow interest groups,"
Harford acknowledged. "But leaders lead. If we take a few bullets for
this, that's part of being a leader."
Orbitz faces many hurdles, however. Given their heavy workload this
session, congressional leaders may not get to legislation involving
travel to Cuba.
Moreover, the Castro brothers have a history of undermining U.S.
overtures with exquisitely timed acts of provocation, which could
further weaken lawmakers' resolve, observers noted. Although two-thirds
of Americans support ending the travel ban, according to a poll
commissioned by Orbitz, opponents are powerful and well-organized.
The Cuban American National Foundation, a prominent Miami-based
organization intent on improving human rights in Cuba, is glad Obama
lifted restrictions on family visits to the island by Cuban-Americans.
But it opposes allowing other tourists into the country until the Castro
regime grants Cuban citizens freedoms taken for granted elsewhere in the
Americas.
"We believe this is not going to help the Cuban people, whatsoever,"
said Dr. Francisco "Pepe" Hernandez, foundation president. "It's only
going to help the Cuban government."
Still, observers think it is only a matter of time before travel is
fully opened between the two countries.
"This is the year 2009," said Delvis Fernandez Levy, president of the
Cuban American Alliance Education Fund, who supports easing trade and
travel bans. "It's time to start a new era."
But even if the ban is abolished, Cuba is likely to constrict travel for
the near term, experts said. Cuba's leadership is likely to restrict
travel visas in the hope of thwarting visitors who might foment discontent.
Another major challenge for Cuba is that it has few hotels with
luxurious accommodations, and those fill up during peak seasons with
tourists from other parts of the world.
"Yes, you can put people on the planes, but what's going to happen when
they get there?" asked Kavulich. "There's going to be a massive distance
between expectations and reality. Unfortunately, Cuba's going to be
harmed because of that."
Waiting in the wings for Cuba to open up are companies such as United
Airlines, which holds far more international travel rights to the island
nation than any other American carrier. It inherited those rights when
it purchased Pan Am's Latin American routes in the early 1990s.
If the ban is lifted, United could fly, or sell, 31 routes that it
controls between the U.S. and Cuba, including the potentially lucrative
New York-Havana and Miami-Havana routes, according to the Department of
Transportation.
Chicago-based United won't disclose its plans for serving the island.
"Right now, we are monitoring the dialogue," said spokeswoman Robin
Urbanski.
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines holds rights to five routes between the
two countries; Houston's Continental owns rights to two routes.
Filling up flights shouldn't be an issue. Online guides to Havana and
other parts of Cuba remain one of the most popular features offered by
iExplore, a Chicago-based adventure travel site, even though Americans
aren't allowed to travel to Cuba unless they fit the narrow commercial
or humanitarian criteria set by the Treasury Department's Office of
Foreign Asset Control.
Travel agents face fines for booking trips to Cuba, even if bookings are
handled by overseas subsidiaries.
"They can currently learn about Cuba and fantasize and dream about the
travel to Cuba," said Todd McClamroch, iExplore's CEO. "But we're
waiting for them to open up the door so we can start selling Cuba."
Cuba: Fantasy island for Orbitz? -- chicagotribune.com (9 May 2009)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/chi-sun-cuba-travel-orbitzmay10,0,428207,full.story
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