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It could soon be more difficult and expensive to travel to Cuba. Lawmakers passed a bill requiring stricter regulations and cost on travel agencies that book trips to Cuba. As Whitney Ray tells us, some say if the Governor signs the bill it will be harder to reunite families.

Hear it Here: Legislation Could Make Travel to Cuba More Difficult, Expensive

Holding signs and shouting veto, more than a hundred Cuban-Americans stormed the state Capitol to ask the Governor to say “no” to stricter travel regulations to Cuba. The legislation requires travel agencies licensed to book flights to Cuba to post a 250,000 dollar bond. Travel agents say many companies couldn’t get bonded.

“The way it is spelled out in the bill are so risky that a bond company would not do it,” said Armando Garcia the president of Marazul, a Miami Charter Company.

Travel agencies that get bonded may have to increase rates. Mechanic Juan Marino said he couldn’t afford to pay more.

“The fare to go to Cuba is going to be higher. It’s going to be more difficult. We’re going to have to be forced to go to third country,” said Marino.

Some Travelers say, if getting to Cuba from Florida gets too difficult they’ll just hop a plan to another Caribbean country and go from there. Opponents of the legislation say if people stopped flying to Cuba from Miami then the state economy would suffer.

“They’re not going to stay in our hotels. They’re not going to eat at our restaurants and they’re not going to spend their money in Florida,” said Tessie Aral, the President of ABC Charters.

Others say it would just be harder for them to get medication to their relatives who can’t buy it in Cuba.

“They would die because they don’t have the medication in Cuba,” said Isabel Rodriguez who has relative who live in Cuba.

About a hundred companies in Florida are federally licensed to sell trips to Cuba. Representative David Rivera pushed the legislation through the chambers. Rivera says stricter regulations on travel agencies would help protect consumers taking trips to Cuba and other terrorist nations.