What are People-to-People trips to Cuba?

As I keep referring to People-to-People trips, I realized I should probably say more about them! For my purposes, these aren’t that different from the trips I organize anywhere else: intimate, small group trips focused on local culture and society. But for those wondering what the term officially means, here’s an explanation.

The U.S. government prohibits most travel to Cuba, including typical tourism focused on R&R or pure sightseeing. But legal travel to Cuba is still possible – through People-to-People (P2P) trips.

These trips are meant to enhance ties between the U.S. and Cuba, promote Cuban civil society, and/or promote independence from Cuban authorities. That’s the goal of the U.S. in permitting them. So every day includes activities such as:

Direct encounters with Cuban nationals where we exchange ideas and build connection. This could be be a visit with friends of mine or a meeting with experts on some aspect of Cuban society. Sometimes we’ll visit a neighborhood project or a school to meet the folks there and see what they’re up to. Or we’ll spend time with an artist or performance group, get a look at what they do, and hear about their lives.
Educational experiences that help us understand Cuban society and the Cubans we’ll meet. This could be a walking tour of some area. I always like to visit shops, produce markets, and ration stores to get a feel for the hybrid socialist/capitalist economy. Or it could be a guided visit to a historic site or museum.
Encounters that support Cubans working outside the Cuban government system. They might be working in small private businesses or NGOs, or as independent activists.

This encompasses such a variety of activities, and Cuba has so much to see and do, it’s easy to fill a trip with qualifying activities! As far as I’m concerned, it’s a really interesting way to travel. If you’ve enjoyed other trips with me, it doesn’t feel all that different from what I do anywhere else.

There are a couple caveats:

Cuba has some amazing beaches, but lying on the beach all day isn’t consistent with the P2P program goals. So if you’re looking for a vacation where nobody tells you what to do, you’ll want to choose a different destination.
There is some flexibility in the program. If some activity really doesn’t interest you, I can always provide an alternative. I take pride in giving people an experience they’re really excited about.
If the U.S. government ever asks, you’re required to provide documentation of your visit to Cuba. Under most licenses for Cuba travel, you’re normally responsible for maintaining your own documentation. But under the People-to-People license, I can maintain the documentation for you. And then, if and when you’re asked for it, you have nothing to worry about. I’ve got you covered.

Legalese: Detour Travel has been issued a license by the Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) authorizing us to organize and operate People to People programs to Cuba.