ATI Plans People to People Programs

AmericanTours International Offers Educational “People to People” Travel to Cuba

Thursday June 2, 2011, 12:36 pm EDT

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AmericanTours International (ATI) Chairman and CEO Noel Irwin Hentschel announced Wednesday (1) that “ATI-Study Cuba in Cuba” is now available at www.CubaATI.com. “The recent opening of academic travel to Cuba by the Obama administration allows universities to immediately activate study abroad programs with CubaATI,” stated CEO Hentschel, who is completing her thesis research in Havana and Santiago de Cuba.

CubaATI travel specialists work closely with American universities and students to custom design academic travel programs that meet their specifications and are within the legal guidelines of the U.S. Treasury Department (OFAC). Students enrolled for credit in U.S. higher education institutions are now able to participate in “ATI-Study Cuba in Cuba” and may be accompanied by faculty and staff on programs facilitated by CubaATI.

“ATI arranged the first group program in America for MBA students from Vietnam at UCLA. We are pleased with the many academic opportunities ATI offers us,” stated Mr. Nguyen Trung Chinh, Director of ITEC, Vietnam.

The key element in the Cuba travel experience is to work with a licensed, established and reputable travel company with superior destination knowledge and a trusted, reliable network on the ground in Cuba. ATI’s expertise in creating specialized itineraries for the visitors’ precise area of interest and budget, with a focus on “people to people” exchanges, enables individuals or groups to maximize their Cuba experience.

New OFAC rules defining legal travel increases opportunities for Americans to experience Cuba’s historical and cultural venues while participating in programs that currently include educational exchange, religious activities and humanitarian projects. ATI provides all of these travel services through www.CubaATI.com including air, car, coach, hotel and guides across the entire island.

“Since October 2010, it is estimated that 222,000 Cubans have bought licenses to open businesses that include travel related industries such as restaurants and lodging in private homes. Travel to Cuba with AmericanTours International helps to support their entrepreneurial endeavors,” stated Hentschel.

Founded in 1977, AmericanTours International (ATI) (www.americantoursinternational.us) is the largest privately held American-owned inbound/outbound and domestic travel organization and partner of AAA/CAA clubs, annually serving one million visitors from 70 countries and generating $3 billion into the U.S. economy. ATI is headquartered in Los Angeles and Orlando with offices in New York, San Francisco, Miami, Honolulu and Beijing.