You might not know this if you are a U.S. traveler, but Cuba now ranks second in the Caribbean in terms of tourist arrivals, just after the Dominican Republic. The reason you might not realize this, of course, is that Americans have been barred from visiting Cuba for the past half-century.
Canadians and Europeans, however, have been visiting Cuba in droves, as AOL's Daily Finance reports, and in fact Cuba is one of the few tourist destinations in the Caribbean that has seen its tourist arrivals increase during the economic downturn (all those Canadians with their secure banking system and "loonies" to spend hasn't hurt).
Meanwhile, the New York Times reports that a bill to lift the Cuba travel ban has now attracted 181 of the 218 votes it would need to pass the U.S. House of Representatives. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.), could reach the magic 218 number this year, supporters say, but would still face a tough test in the Senate, where it would require support from 60 of 100 senators to ensure passage.
As for Cuba, the communist nation's foreign minister avoided the usual mudslinging during his recent appearance at the United Nations General Assembly last week. The Times reported that Bruno Rodriguez called for the U.S. to drop its trade embargo and for Obama to lift the travel ban by executive order, but also repeated President Raul Castro's call for "respectful, arm's length dialogue with the United States, without overshadowing our independence, sovereignty and self-determination.''