1. Group of German tourists with guide in Old Havana 2. Mid shot of tourists in San Francisco Square 3. Empty street caf� 4. Quiet day at the open air arts and crafts market 5. Various of market 28 September 2001 6. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Antonio Romerillo, Vice Minister of Tourism "There is no room for doubt, we are entering difficult times for tourism. It has been reported already of the extent of the impact on other countries. Cuba is in the same situation". September 2001 7. Set up shot of visiting US Representative Jeff Flake, Arizona 8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Rep Jeff Flake, Arizona "Increasingly, conservatives are realizing that we can't stand up one week and say we ought to engage China, that is the best way to change China in a way that we think it ought to be changed, and then turn around and say, we've got to have a completely different policy with Cuba. That we have to isolate Cuba. I think that that makes no sense". 3 October 2001 9. American tourist buying flags 10. Set up shot of US tourist Anne from Califonia taking a photo 11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Anne, US visitor to Cuba "I am personally against war of any kind and I just do believe that things are going to work out peacefully. So I am not afraid of flying". 12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jeff Isaacs, US visitor to Cuba Q: Are you not afraid of flying? A: "Not to Cuba. A little more afraid, when, well.. everybody is concerned, they look around and they are not sure, but it will be OK. Everything will be fine. It is a bit difficult for us right now but the whole world is affected by this so we need to get together and just take care of business". 13. Calle O'Reilly in Old Havana, with the famous Bodeguita del Medio bar 14. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Ezekiel Palacios, horse and carriage driver "It seems, although this is low season, that due to the situation, that catastrophe in new York, (tourism) has gone down a lot. There are very few tourists. Very little tourism at the moment". Q: "From conversations with tourists, have they said they are afraid of flying?" A: "Yes of course. Many people have cancelled their flights, because they are afraid that a plane? when there is a storm everybody stays at home". 15. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Lazaro Green, taxi driver "Tourism is relatively low due to, I think, all the problems internationally that we have at the moment". 16. Quiet day for business at the Cathedral Square caf� 17. Pan of tourists in the Cathedral Square STORYLINE: The impact of last month's terrorist attacks on New York and Washington DC is hitting the Carribbean where it hurts - foreign currency revenues from tourism. Cuba's tourism ministry is bracing itself for a blow to what has become the island's most lucrative industry, as cancellations coincide with the onset of low season. U-S visitors to the island last year represented a small proportion of the total number - an estimated 173- thousand - but they are seen here as among the big spenders. Other island nations in the Carribbean, where tourism relies heavily on the U-S market, are equally feeling the pinch according to Cuba's Tourism Vice Minister Antonio Romerillo. But what could complicate matters further is Cuba's listing alongside Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, North Korea and Sudan, as a promotor of terrorism by the U-S. Political lobby groups from the U-S were, until recently, hopeful an embargo on U-S visitors to the communist island just ninety miles off the coast of Florida would go by the end of this year. Last month, representative Jeff Flake was in Cuba to push the case further forward. He argued that increased contact with Americans and their democratic ideas could help force reforms within Fidel Castro's authoritarian government. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/950cdef7ef37c4f72141e06fd0857c2a Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork

• published: 23 Jul 2015
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