President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced plans to restore full diplomatic relations with Cuba after 50 years. The decision will ease travel restrictions for family visits, public performances, and professional, educational, and religious activities, among other categories. Tourist travel remains banned, but airlines, hotel chains, and cruise companies now have hope that they soon will be able to bring U.S. tourists to the Caribbean nation, AP writes. A handful of international companies, including Spanish hotel chain Melia, already operate in Cuba. U.S. hotel companies like Hilton Worldwide and Marriott International said they welcome any future opportunities to include Cuba in their growing global footprint, the article states. “We will take our cues from the U.S. government, but look forward to opening hotels in Cuba, as companies from others countries have done already,” Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson told AP via an emailed statement.
