Airbnb Lands in Cuba

For wanderlust seekers, Cuba is the Wild West of destinations. For decades, U.S. citizens couldn't travel there, but that all changed this winter when President Obama eased travel bans and trade sanctions with our Caribbean neighbor to the South.

And where there's even a sliver of new opportunity, startups see possibility. Home-rentals site Airbnb is one of them, having just announced more than 1,000 listings in Cuba.

"For over 50 years, Cuba has been out of reach for most Americans. We couldn't be more excited that, starting today, licensed U.S. travelers will now be able to experience the unique culture and warm hospitality that makes the island so special through our new Cuban community," said Nathan Blecharczyk, co-founder of the San Francisco-based startup, in a statement.

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The new travel rules issued in January still don't allow for Americans to visit Cuba for general tourism; they simply permit Americans to visit Cuba for any of these 12 reasons -- including visiting family members or pursuing professional research -- without having to apply for a license.

Airbnb says that Americans who book lodging on the site must be traveling to Cuba under one of the 12 licensed categories.

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As soon as the White House said it would be lifting the veil that has existed between the U.S. and Cuba, searches on Airbnb for Cuba jumped by 70 percent, the company says. Cuba is currently a more popular search term on the online booking platform than Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, or Mexico City -- cities that have traditionally been favorite travel destinations in Latin America.