Tours changing American views of Cuba, US policy: HAVANA (AP) — When President Barack Obama reinstated people-to-people travel to Cuba in 2011, the idea was that visiting Americans would act as cultural ambassadors for a U.S. constantly demonized in the islands official media. [..] the results of the multiple-choice survey by Friendly Planet Travel, a company based in suburban Philadelphia that promotes legal tours of Cuba, are eye-catching. Before travel, the most prevalent view of Raul Castros government was a repressive Communist regime that stifles individuality and creativity, 48 percent of respondents said. Some leave Cuba blaming U.S. policy for the shortages — as the Cuban government does constantly, although analysts also point to a weak, inefficient and corruption-ridden economic system as a key cause of scarcity. Some people go back and say they want to write letters to their senators, said Jeff Philippe, a guide who has taken 34 groups to the island in just over a year for Insight Cuba, which puts on people-to-people tours for Americans. [..] its not surprising to hear thats the case with these tourist trips to Cuba, since they are specifically designed to expose people only to what the regime wants them to see. In a written response to an AP request for comment, the U.S. State Department said people-to-people travel has successfully contributed to a more realistic and therefore more positive view of Americans and the United States by the Cuban people. Some say theyre aware that being shuttled around in air-conditioned buses and sleeping in luxury hotels differs greatly from most Cubans reality. [..] it was off to lunch at an enormous outdoor state-run restaurant where just about every client orders the house specialty, roast chicken. dlvr.it/4rGRmk
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 09:44:33 +0000
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