US tourists will have plenty of options for accommodation when they invade Cuba, with Airbnb now allowing American travellers to book rooms on the Caribbean island for the first time. More than 1,000 Cuban properties are listed on the popular home-rental website – private rooms are available for as little as $12 (£8) a night – and the bulk of them are located in the capital of Havana. Airbnb has plans for rapid growth in Cuba, where its employees have spent the last three months signing up property owners in advance of the expected crush of American visitors. More than 1,000 Cuban properties are listed on Airbnb, with 40 per cent located in the capital of Havana . Kay Kuehne, regional director for Airbnb, told the Associated Press: ‘We believe that Cuba could become one of Airbnb's biggest markets in Latin America. ‘We are actually plugging into an existing culture of micro-enterprise in Cuba. The hosts in Cuba have been doing for decades what we just started doing seven years ago.’ Forty per cent of Airbnb’s listings in Cuba are in Havana, while the rest are mostly located in tourist hotspots along the coast. With more than one million private listings, Airbnb’s ambitious plans for Cuba are being hailed by AP has the most significant US business expansion on the island since the old Cold War foes pledged to restore full diplomatic relations and move towards opening trade. One of the biggest hurdles Airbnb hosts are currently facing is the lack of internet access across the island . Property owners are welcoming the opportunity to make some extra cash in a country with a sluggish state-run economy, and they hope it will help to spur a revival on the island as they compete with hotels for business. Israel Rivero, who owns pre-war flat in central Havana and will charge $30 (£20) a night on Airbnb, told AP: ‘I think this is going to help our business prosper, to definitely improve, not just private business, but everything here.’ Collin Laverty, owner of tour operator Cuba Educational Travel, said property owners have already been investing central air conditioning, improved water pressure and other amenities in order to be able to charge more than $25 (£16) a night for basic service. He said: ‘You're starting to see places that can compete with three- and four-star hotels.’ Tourists leave a privately-owned home with rooms for rent in Havana . For the time being non-US travellers will not be able to book rooms or flats in Cuba through Airbnb . One of the biggest hurdles Airbnb hosts are currently facing is the lack of internet access across the island, which restricts their ability to check on bookings and respond to questions from potential guests. They also face challenges when it comes to accepting credit card payments, as they are unable to access much of the international banking system due to US sanctions that haven’t been lifted. Mr Kuehne said Cuban and US authorities have welcomed Airbnb’s expansion. But for the time being non-US travellers will not be able to book rooms or flats in Cuba through the website. With many hotels filled with non-US visitors, one of the biggest concerns about the return of American tourists in Cuba is a shortage of suitable accommodation. While diplomatic talks continue, Americans still can’t freely travel to the Caribbean nation. Because of restrictions under the US embargo they must meet one of 12 US government-approved categories for legal travel, including professional research and religious activities.
More than 1,000 properties are listed in Cuba on the home-rental website . Forty per cent of the listings are located in the capital of Havana . Airbnb has been signing up Cuban property owners for three months . For the time being non-US travellers will not be able to book with Airbnb .