Travel agencies: Don't pull out the champagne yet

The announcement in recent days that Cuba will no longer require its citizens to apply for government approval - the so-called "white card" - to travel abroad is another step forward in the communist state's easing of restrictions and allowing for freedoms that many outside of Cuba just take for granted.

The move adds to other reforms such as state-controlled telecommunications company Etecsaallowing in 2008 ordinary Cubans to have cell phones - a luxury that was previously reserved for those who worked for foreign firms or held key posts in the country.

But don't expect travel agencies to now be able to line their pockets by selling Cubans trips abroad. There are two reasons.

First the price issue. In the mobile phone case, penetration didn't really take off until the price of the devices came down to less than a third at which they were originally introduced.

When it comes to travels, the price for even getting a passport was just raised to US$100 from US$55. Flights to neighboring Miami average some US$500. Considering the average monthly salary in Cuba is about US$20, that's five months' salary to get the passport and 25 months to hop on a flight to Miami.

Secondly, the list is fairly short of countries that are willing to accept Cubans and do not require visas and/or a letter of invite from a host country resident previous to entering the country. About half of those countries are from the Commonwealth of Independent States (former USSR) - hard to imagine many Cubans jumping at that opportunity.

Ah, and let's not forget that the government has also reserved the right to maintain the travel restrictions for those who are considered "vital" to the country, in order to "preserve the human capital created by the revolution" while also maintaining national defense and security. As such, health professionals, athletes and those that are subject to completing military service may have to put their travel dreams on the shelf for awhile longer.

Publications such as Spain's El País point to the move as a result of economic and social failure, pinning government hopes on travelers returning back to the homeland with lots of cash. Whatever the case, the awarding of new freedoms is encouraging. Let's hope that government will stick to its word and also allow vocal political dissidents such as Guillermo Fariñas and blogger Yoani Sánchez to circulate freely.