New rules that go into effect Friday will make it much easier for Americans to visit Cuba for the first time in decades — but don't starting planning a trip just yet. Travel websites are still blocking U.S. searchers based on their IP addresses and hurdles remain for the casual traveler looking to explore the island. Americans can only travel to Cuba for 12 specific reasons laid out by the Treasury Department, including family visits, educational activities and journalism. Tourism is still not among them. Nevertheless, U.S. travelers will no longer have to obtain special licenses from the Treasury Department to explore the communist country, which translates to a lot less paperwork. This is a big change because the new system basically operates on the honor system, meaning there's little stopping the most voracious of travelers from finding an excuse to hit the streets and beaches of Havana.
