Excerpt from Travel Weekly article – October 1, 2017
Companies operating Cuba tours say that the State Department’s warning against travel to Cuba should go unheeded.
The State Department said it issued the warning because diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Havana were targeted in mysterious “health attacks.”
Collin Laverty, president of Cuba Educational Travel, called the warning “absolutely unnecessary and counterproductive.”
“There are no reports of any incidents affecting U.S. travelers and the isolated events are not considered a threat to visitors’ safety. Cuba continues to be one of the safest places in the world for visitors,” said Laverty.
Laverty pointed out that private U.S. citizens haven’t been victims of the attacks. However, the State Department said that attacks had occurred in residences and hotels that Americans frequently visit, and thus traveling citizens were at risk.
Those affected experienced hearing loss, cognitive issues, trouble sleeping, fatigue, headaches, dizziness and ear problems.
“There still remains few concrete details about these attacks and incidents in Havana,” said Robert Cooney, acting regional director of Intrepid Travel. “The State Department travel warning does seem highly precautionary given how little information is available at this time.”
Cooney said Intrepid Travel has been in touch with passengers who are booked on upcoming Cuba people-to-people tours and that they have expressed no desire to cancel. Read More