Classic Journeys Renews License for People-to-People Cultural Exchange to Cuba
San Diego, CA (PRWEB) March 19, 2014 -- Classic Journeys, the award-winning cultural travel company that offers boutique guided tours in more than 75 regions, 35 countries, and five continents, announced today that the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury has renewed their license to offer people-to-people cultural exchange programs to Cuba through March of 2016. The trip has been Classic Journeys’ fastest-selling destination in the history of the company. Due to popular demand, under the renewed license Classic Journeys has announced 11 new departure dates through April of 2015. They also plan to add another dozen departures through March 2016.
“Our people-to-people cultural exchange to Cuba has been one of the most powerful trips we’ve offered, both in the quality of the experience itself and in its popularity with our guests. We are overjoyed to be able to continue to offer it and to connect more travelers to a place and culture that is so rich in beauty and history," said Edward Piegza, founder of Classic Journeys. “This renewal is an important endorsement of our mission to forge and sustain impactful cultural connections.”
In celebration of this and of the one-year anniversary of the program, Classic Journeys will offer a discount on the June 2014 departure for travelers that book before April 28th. They will mark the trip down by $500 per couple ($250 per person). The trip begins on June 28 and returns on July 5.
About the Cuba People-to-People Cultural Exchange Programs
Now in its 19th season, Classic Journeys’ mission has always been to offer authentic, immersive travel experiences. This series of programs recognizes the value in establishing deeper cultural understanding and interaction between citizens of Cuba and the United States. The company’s belief is that the best way to experience a country is to meet the locals in person, talk to them about their lives, and to take time to understand their history and culture. As such, Classic Journeys has created a full, guided program of educational encounters and personal meetings with Cuban people from all strata of society. The itinerary includes visits to places of historical, economic, and ecological importance. Highlights from the itinerary include: meetings with the artists and residents of the Luyano area, a local community development project independent of State authorities; an exploration of Habana Vieja - a 500-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site - with an urban planner; discussions with religious leaders about the Santería religion and Afro-Cubano culture; and a look into the world of Ernest Hemingway during his time in Cuba, as led by the director of the Museo Ernest Hemingway, among several other adventures.
An important differentiating characteristic of Classic Journeys’ people-to-people exchange programs is the countryside walking that is included in the Viñales Valley west of Havana. These walks through the countryside complement the walking in Havana, and provide the travelers with access to Las Terrazas, a sustainable community in the mountains of the Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve; visits to working coffee and tobacco farms that include meetings with campesinos at work in their fields; and opportunities to interact with the teachers and students in a small village school.
Classic Journeys’ People-to-People Cuba trips are eight days and seven nights and include one night in Miami, four nights in Havana and two nights in the Viñales Valley. Prices begin at $4995 per person based on double occupancy. For more information on dates and prices, visit http://www.classicjourneys.com/cuba.
About Classic Journeys
Classic Journeys offers cultural walking adventures, culinary tours and family journeys in North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia and the South Pacific. Guests enjoy luxury accommodations and gourmet meals that reflect the best of each region, coupled with soft adventure activities, daily interactions with locals, and native guides who make countries and cultures come alive. Tours are six to 12 days long with two to four hours of easy-going walking per day. Land-only tour prices range from $2595 to $6995 per person (with discounts for small groups and children traveling with parents). Average tour size is 10, limited to a maximum of 18 guests per departure. Full details and links to itineraries are available at http://www.ClassicJourneys.com.
For any additional information, please contact Emily Aschbrenner (emily(at)ellecomm(dot)com) at Elle Communications.
Emily Aschbrenner, Elle Communications, +1 760.213.1300, [email protected]
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