Americans will soon find tours to Cuba

The door to Cuba has been slammed shut so long, it's hard to recognize it opening.

But it is.

American tour companies this summer should be able to legally offer "people-to-people" cultural trips to Cuba to anyone.

Due to a slight easing in U.S. travel restrictions that have been in place for 48 years, these trips will showcase culture and interactions with Cuban artists and citizens.

"They still don't want people going for an inclusive resort beach vacation -- that goes against the spirit of the regulations because it's propping up the regime and doesn't benefit regular people," says Tom Popper, CEO of the tour company Insight Cuba. "But Cuba has so much more to offer than the beaches."

Insight Cuba and other vendors are awaiting licenses so they can start offering trips. Insight Cuba (www.insightcuba.com) has planned 115 trips of three, seven or eight nights to run by April 2012, but it can't offer a thing until the license comes through. Departures are from Miami, on charter aircraft. Havana is only 30 minutes by air.

The main question people ask about Cuba, Popper says, "'Is it OK to walk around?' Yes, of course."

Of course, Americans have been sneaking into Cuba for years through third countries. But if you're caught, you can be fined.

"It's estimated that 200,000 Americans travel to Cuba illegally every year through Mexico or Canada," says Popper. "But most travelers don't want to take that kind of risk. So this is an incredible opportunity to go to Cuba. We don't know how long it will be open."

He believes there's a pent-up demand. Forbidden fruit, a mysterious land, so close to our shores -- all those enticements are at play.

"Once people get there, it's about the intriguing and romantic and fantastic atmosphere, the people, not all about Fidel Castro and communism....Life exists there on a grand scale. It's like going back in time. So much of Cuba is untouched. You go and feel like it is Cancun in 1977. It hasn't been homogenized."