A new aviation deal between the United States and Cuba could spark more Americans to travel to the island nation, local travel agents said.

But while they welcome the news of the deal announced Thursday, they said they have clients who already have traveled to Cuba on charter flights out of Miami, Florida.

Jennifer Christensen, a travel consultant at 1st Class Travel in Cape Girardeau, said she has seen increasing interest from area residents looking to travel to Cuba within the past year as relations between that nation and the U.S. have improved.

Group tours have focused on culture and agriculture, she said. "They show you tobacco farms and Cuban cigars."

Elite Travel's Carolyn Sandgren, formerly Kempf, said Americans have traveled to Cuba for years.

"I have been sending people to Cuba for three or four years," she said.

Such trips have been organized tours, complete with a tour guide.

Those trips have been set up as humanitarian or cultural visits, with established itineraries, she said.

In the past, the U.S. had a travel embargo that prevented Americans from visiting Cuba.

But Americans still could visit the country by traveling to Jamaica or other nations, then taking flights to Cuba, said Sandgren, whose travel agency is in Cape Girardeau.

The new deal allows 30 regular airline flights a day, which government officials said eventually could lead to many more Americans visiting Cuba. It's estimated such flights one day could bring more than 4,000 Americans to Cuba daily.

But Sandgren worries the influx of visitors ultimately may change the Cuban landscape and result in more commercialization.

"If you want to see the authentic Cuba, you need to spend the money now," she said.

Sandgren added in terms of tourism, Cuba eventually could be a vacation destination such as San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Christensen said there's good reason Americans are drawn to Cuba.

"It is a destination attracting a lot of attention because it is that one place you couldn't get to," she explained.

Linda and Charles Rogers of Scott City traveled to Cuba in October.

The couple, who just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, took a five-day trip to Cuba. They flew there on a charter flight from Miami.

"We've been to Hawaii twice," Linda Rogers said. "We've been on a cruise. We just wanted to do something different." The couple were part of a 16-member tour group of Americans from across the United States. They took a bus tour of agricultural and cultural areas around Havana, including a tobacco plantation. Her husband, who is a cigar smoker, purchased some Cuban cigars while on vacation.

Linda Rogers said she and her husband decided to travel to Cuba this fall because they wanted to experience the historic culture.

"We wanted to see it because we felt when Cuba gets a lot of travelers, it will change," she said.

Still, she said increased flights would allow more Americans to visit a place they enjoyed.

"We had a wonderful time. I would like to go back," she said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641