Havana at night; Howard Ignatius

President Obama's easing of sanctions on Cuba means that our zzdtravel hotel investigators -- equipped with press visas -- are jetting off to the island in just a couple days! They'll be taking tons of photographs of the destination, including the area's hotels, restaurants, attractions, and more.

While the opening of Cuba to U.S. citizens affects trade, finance, and even perhaps baseball, we're of course most interested in what it means for travel and the hospitality industry -- and we guess we'll soon find out. While straight tourism is technically not allowed, you can now enter Cuba for a dozen reasons without having to obtain a special license to do so. Here they are, as outlined by the White House:

Downtown Havana; Gerry Balding

Family visitsOfficial business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and certain intergovernmental organizationsJournalistic activityProfessional research and professional meetingsEducational activitiesReligious activitiesPublic performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitionsSupport for the Cuban peopleHumanitarian projectsActivities of private foundations or research or educational institutesExportation, importation, or transmission of information or information materialsCertain export transactions that may be considered for authorization under existing regulations and guidelines.

We’ll be sure and keep you updated throughout our investigators’ journeys. Have specific questions about what it’s really like in Cuba? Ask us in the comments section below and we’ll get back to you with what we find!

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