NEW YORK — Cuba was once a haven for sun-seeking American tourists. Beautiful beaches, lively casinos and late-night dancing made it the perfect getaway, only an hour’s flight from Miami.

But the Cuban revolution led by Fidel Castro and the subsequent Cold War embargo of the communist island nation put an end to that.

President Obama’s announcement Wednesday of plans to re-establish diplomatic ties with Cuba doesn’t suddenly lift the ban on U.S. tourism. It does, however, give hope to airlines, hotel chains and cruise companies – all which have been quietly eyeing a removal of the travel ban – that they soon will be able to bring U.S. tourists to the Caribbean nation.

“Cuba is the largest country in the Caribbean, so there’s some exciting possibilities,” said Roger Frizzell, spokesman for Carnival Corp. He said “some infrastructure for cruising already exists in the country.”

The challenge for the industry will be to offer trips to Cuba for eager tourists without alienating anti-Castro Cuban-Americans who stay in hotels or take cruises elsewhere. Regardless, for now, senior Obama administration officials say that travel to Cuba for tourist activities will remain prohibited.


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