Palm Desert Chamber Planning Cuba Trip

The Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce is asking locals to dust off their passports and sign up for a trip to Cuba.

The communist country was previously closed to direct flights from the United States, but President Barack Obama relaxed travel restrictions in 2009 and 2011, opening up the country to tourists.

The Chamber didn’t wait long to jump at the opportunity to see a country frozen in time, according to Barbara deBoom, CEO of the .

“It’s more of a People to People trip. It’s not a business development trip,” deBoom said. “It’s more of a cultural experience and to see time frozen in 1959, compared to where we are today in 2012.”

She said many people have signed up, and she is prepared for those in the community who disagree with traveling to and doing business with Cuba.

“I think there will be some that think this is great and wonderful and there will be some who aren’t going to like it,” deBoom said.

The Sept 18 - 26 trip, which costs $3,699, includes round-trip direct airfare from LAX, hotel accommodations, meals, tours and health insurance. Chamber Explorations, a division of California-based Premier World Discovery, is offering the trip.

"It's the last remaining destination for many travelers," said Ian Scott, a travel planner for Chamber Explorations.

Chamber Explorations arranged the visit through the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control. "All of the legal issues have been taken care of," Scott said. "You don't need to fill anything out except for your registration form."

Trip highlights will include Old Havana, Cathedral of Havana, Museum of Fine Arts Havana, the Partagas Cigar Factory, the Bay of Pigs Museum and Ernest Hemingway's 15-acre estate.

For information, call the chamber at 760 346-6111 or e-mail info@pdacc.com.  An informational meeting will be held on Jan. 31 at 5 p.m. at the Palm Desert Area Chamber offices 72559 Highway 111. Attendees are asked to RSVP in advance.