A Durango-based travel company specializing in trips to Cuba fielded many calls from spooked travelers but received only one cancellation following a warning issued against going to Cuba last week by the U.S. State Department.
“People get scared because they don’t really have all the information,” said Cecilia McQuinn, a travel consultant with The Educational Adventures Co.
The warning was issued after employees of the U.S. embassy in Cuba experienced ear problems and hearing loss, dizziness, headaches, fatigue, cognitive issues and difficulty sleeping, according to the State Department.
The attacks are an ongoing mystery. Diplomats and spies were targeted, but the U.S. has not identified the device responsible for the harm, the Associated Press reported.
However, it’s business as usual for the travel industry. Major airlines are not issuing refunds and travel companies are continuing to book trips to Cuba, Educational Adventures founder Sara Illsley said.
The U.S. embassy is no longer issuing visas to Cubans traveling to the U.S., but the change does not affect Americans, she said.
Since the announcement, the company has also fielded requests to book trips and McQuinn expects interest in the island to continue.
“The American citizens that go there are so intrigued about everything about Cuba because it’s been so off-limits for us,” she said.
The last time Cuba made headlines, when President Donald Trump in June changed the rules for U.S. residents traveling to Cuba, it was a major boost to the company’s business because travelers needed help from travel companies to comply with the new regulations. The company helped travelers who had booked flights and hotels but who needed full-time itineraries and guides to comply with the new rules, Illsley said.
Trump limited travel for nonacademic educational purposes to groups, a change that was meant to channel money away from the businesses owned by the Cuban military monopoly, according to the administration.
After the change, Educational Adventures’ business increased about 50 percent, Illsley said.
“The first two months, it was crazy,” she said.
In August, the demand started “cooling” a bit, but it’s still driving business, she said. Because the company has always used full-time guides – it works with Locally Sourced Cuba, a travel company based on the island – and focuses on education, it did not have to make many adjustments.
The company is focused on specialized private group tours for families and groups of friends tailored to their interests. The education it provides includes history and architecture, and through direct communication with Cuban people, which is a requirement of U.S. regulations, McQuinn said.
The company is setting up several new lectures with Cubans to highlight some unique cultural aspects. For example, they plan to have a mechanic speak on keeping the iconic cars on the island running, Illsley said
“Our specialty is the on-the-ground connection to the people there,” McQuinn said.
Illsley and Jennifer Gay founded Educational Adventures about three years ago as a fun project. They never expected to see such strong demand, Illsley said.
“We started wanting to share our passion for the country, the culture and the people,” she said.
The two were planning to take friends to Cuba in late 2014 for a trip focused on dance before official diplomatic ties were restored, and they successfully made travel plans for U.S. citizens through legal channels, she said in an email.
Before the changes, Illsley and her companions were prepared to pay $4,000 per person for a trip to Cuba. Now, tours start around $1,450, according the company’s website.
After Trump changed the travel rules, Locally Sourced Cuba, a company that Educational Adventures was already working with, started referring U.S. travelers to Educational Adventures, which spurred the bulk of its growth this summer, she said.
Good timing and organic growth have helped build the company since then, and it now employs four women, in addition to the founders.
The company may expand into other Spanish-speaking countries, but there aren’t any immediate plans for expansion.
“Everybody wants to go to Cuba right now, so that’s kept us busy,” Illsley said.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
