Travel Agency Offers Food Tours Of Cuba

Curious about the food scene in Cuba? Sign up to get a glimpse of newest foodie destination with Newark, Del., travel agency owner Bob Older. 

Beginning in August, Older will lead trips through Cuba with the help of the People-to-People program, a U.S. Department of the Treasury agency charged with bridging the gap between the two countries. Older believes food can bridge the divide easily. Said Older to the Associated Press, "The People-to-People program is designed to create interaction between the people." 

The trip promises much more than interaction — planned stops on the tour include visits to an urban farm,  Havana's largest food market, and tours of manufacturers, like a rum maker and cigar factory. However, the trip does involve plenty of red tape — travelers aren't allowed to spend more than $200 per day on lodging and food, and the government had to approve the trip's itinerary. 

That doesn't mean the trip won't be meaningful for both visitors and Cuban residents. "Everyone but Americans have been going there for the past 50 years," Older said to the media. "It's a country that is changing. It's a country that has a whole lot of changing to do."

The eight-day trip costs about $2,400 per person, excluding travel to Miami.