Taiwan's tourism agency advises temporary halt to Cuba travel

Taipei, March 26 (CNA) Travel agencies are advised to adjust or temporarily suspend group tours to Cuba, following recent incidents where individuals with Republic of China (Taiwan) passports have been denied entry, according to the Tourism Administration.

The advisory is currently only a recommendation and not a ban, the administration said Tuesday.

Travel agencies are allowed to continue selling Cuba-related tours, but are reminded to be aware that passengers could be refused entry, the administration said.

Based on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MOFA) four-tier travel advisory regarding safety and security risks, Cuba remains under an orange alert, which indicates unnecessary travel should be avoided, the administration said.

The lowest level, grey, signifies caution should be exercised; yellow suggests travel should be reconsidered; orange indicates unnecessary travel should be avoided; and red instructs ROC nationals not to travel to a destination.

In December last year, MOFA called on the public to put off travel plans to Cuba, after a Taiwanese expatriate family in Canada reported that they had been denied entry to Cuba due to holding ROC passports, which Cuban immigration officials said their country does not recognize as it upholds the "one-China principle."

The Tourism Administration said Tuesday that it recently received other complaints of similar incidents from local travel agencies, hence it has been advising them to temporarily suspend travel to the Caribbean nation.