Charter companies in charge of arranging flights from the United States to Cuba have seen a rise in business since President Barack Obama announced a return of diplomatic relations with the country in December but believe they will suffer once commercial airlines are allowed to provide regular service to and from Cuba.

According to Newsweek, travel to Cuba had been limited to companies holding special licenses before Obama's announcement last month. Travel companies have been able to arrange tours for American tourists since the late 1970s during the Carter administration.

Restrictions on traveling to Cuba were tougher during the George W. Bush administration in the early 2000s. Companies like Gulfstream, ABC, Marazul and others had to find better ways to arrange flights to Cuba.

"He hit us really hard," Tessie Aral of ABC Charters said, referring to Former President Bush. "We had to lay off half our staff."

John H. Cabana of C&T Charters said the new restrictions made him go bankrupt and forced him to stop flying in 2012.

Since some restrictions have been lifted, travel agencies are now incorporating trips to Cuba in their travel plans. For example, travel search engine Kayak added Cuban hotels and flight information to its search results recently.

Still, booking websites have to wait for the U.S. government negotiations with Cuba to finish before making any major changes.

"We are in contact with our suppliers, airlines, hotels, cruise lines and others that are looking at getting into the Cuba market," Chris Chiames, vice president of corporate affairs at Orbitz, said. "We anticipate being able to sell travel for Americans getting to Cuba by the end of this year. It's been a place so close, but so far."

Numerous travel agencies are expecting a high demand in travel to Cuba and are eager to start business.

Related