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Cuba has long been forbidden territory for Americans. Only the most intrepid travelers have made it to the country, mostly by going through Mexico or Canada. if (WIDGETBOX) WIDGETBOX.renderWidget('4396eea8-7d47-46f3-b1c9-a8d3dd7ebc74');Get the Poll Creator Pro widget and many other great free widgets at Widgetbox! Not seeing a widget? (More info)But the rules are changing. This year, the Obama administration eased restrictions on travel to Cuba, making it possible for Americans to go to the small Caribbean island as long as they make the trip with a licensed tour operator performing "people-to-people" trips. The goal? To encourage interaction between the two countries. This week we introduced our first-ever deal to Cuba. At $1899, the price tag is higher than most of our deals, especially for a destination that is so close to home. The rate includes your visa, round-trip airfare to Havana, four nights in the city, all meals, transfers, and your tour guide. During the trip, you'll meet Cuban artists, a professor who specializes in U.S./Cuban relations, and you'll visit an elementary school and housing project. Our deals team spends an enormous amount of time finding and vetting deals to make sure that the offers we highlight in our Real Deals section are just that—real deals—not the smoke and mirror "discounts" you find on many other sites. We hemmed and hawed about whether or not to feature this deal. On the one hand, it's an opportunity to experience a picturesque city with a fascinating history, not to mention one that has traditionally been tricky for us to visit. On the other hand, it's pretty pricey and as anyone who knows anything about Cuba is aware—a Cuban vacation isn't your typical Caribbean getaway. You don't come here to work on your tan, down mojitos, and practice your moves in the disco. You come here to see the sights and learn about history. And careful planning is essential. You have to bring with you all the cash you plan to spend because there are no ATMs in the country and credit cards aren't accepted. WiFi connections are slow, chances are you won't get service on your cell phone, and the lack of streetlights makes it difficult to get around after dark. And good luck getting to know the locals—Cubans are notoriously reserved, especially around foreigners. Still, the price is pretty good when you consider that it covers pretty much everything you'll need while you're here (food, board, tours). Plus, there is the allure of this part of the world and the novelty of being able to visit an area formerly off limits. The case for including the deal was compelling and eventually, the "for Cuba" contingent of our office won—and the deal was featured. Whether you book it or not is up to you. What do you think? Were we right to include a deal to Cuba on our site? And would you ever consider booking a deal like this? SEE MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: 8 Most Complicated Countries to Visit 10 Record-Breaking Bridges 10 Most Interesting Beaches

Long Island City, a waterfront neighborhood in Queens, is a "hot bed of hotel development," according to New York City officials. There are currently 17 hotels in Long Island City, with a total of 1,500 rooms, with five more properties (or an additional 650 rooms) already under construction. Long Island City is already home to a Four Points by Sheraton, a Fairfield Inn, a Country Inn & Suites, a Holiday Inn, and a Wyndham Garden, which is opening next month. Some of the area's independent properties include the recently opened Z NYC Hotel, Ravel, the Queensboro Hotel and the Verve Hotel. The allure of Long Island City is undoubtedly its location right across the East River from Manhattan and convenient subway connections to the city. There is also a thriving arts scene there, including MoMA PS1, the Sculpture Center, the Noguchi Museum, and Fisher Landau Center for Art. "Long Island City is fast becoming a popular neighborhood for leisure and business travelers alike with its wide range of affordable hotel options, great cultural attractions, thriving restaurant scene, and seamless public transportation to midtown," said George Fertitta, CEO of NYC & Company, New York's tourism marketing arm. The development in Long Island City is indicative of the city's overall hotel building boom, with New York on pace to have 90,000 hotel rooms by the end of 2011, Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently announced. Approximately 40 new hotel projects are scheduled to open in the next 30 months, with 13 properties (or 1,865 rooms) slated for boroughs other than Manhattan (five in Long Island City, three in Queens, one in the Bronx, one in Staten Island and three in Brooklyn). But with more hotels coming online, it doesn't mean it's getting any cheaper to stay in New York. Room rates are steadily increasing, according to city officials. But that hasn't kept the tourists away. Last year, New York City welcomed 48.8 million visitors who collectively spent $31 billion. And, hotel occupancy throughout the city has remained at close to 85 percent. More from Budget Travel: Now Departing: NYC to Hawaii Nonstop for $212 4 Tools for Finding the Perfect Airplane Seat A sneak peek of the 9/11 Memorial site

Unlike many other countries (think those ads you often see for Mexico, India or Thailand), the United States has for a long time lacked a unified tourism marketing strategy to represent our country elsewhere. But there's a new push to try to change that. Earlier this month, a new name, logo and campaign to market the United States to visitors the world over was unveiled as Brand USA, "America's first-ever global consumer brand." Brand USA will launch its first official advertising and marketing campaign in March of next year with the aim of promoting and increasing international travel to the United States to drive job creation and economic growth. It was initially established as the Corporation for Travel Promotion in response to the Travel Promotion Act, federal legislation passed in March 2010. According to Brand USA, the logo was created to be "fresh, welcoming and inclusive," and to remind the world of the "awesome possibilities" here. DiscoverAmerica.com is Brand USA's official consumer website. "What is so compelling about the United States is that no one thing can explain who we are as a nation," said Brand USA Chief Marketing Officer Chris Perkins. Brand USA is a Washington, D.C.-based private corporation overseen by the Commerce Department and Congress. The program is funded through a combination of private sector investment, which represents at least half the program's budget, and funds collected by the Department of Homeland Security for the visa waiver program. International travel to the United States supported 1.8 million jobs in 2010, and the average overseas visitor to the U.S. spends $4,000 per trip, according to Brand USA. What kind of message do you think Brand USA should send to foreigners about our country? About why they should visit? And who we are? More from Budget Travel: Does the DOT Tarmac Delay Fine Help Consumers? New Site Advises on How Not to Be a "Tourist" Mexico’s New Tourism Campaign: Are You Convinced?

The first penalty under the tarmac delay rule was issued this week by the The U.S. Department of Transportation, the agency fining American Eagle a whopping $900,000. The move promptly launched a debate on whether such fines might actually hurt consumers. At issue is whether airlines will cancel more flights to delay large tarmac delay penalties. The rule, which took effect in April 2010, allows the DOT to fine carriers as much as $27,500 per passenger for delays on the tarmac of more than three hours. In the case of American Eagle, 608 passengers on 15 planes arriving at Chicago's O'Hare, amid thunderstorms on May 29, were cooped up beyond the limit—45 minutes beyond in one case. The fine reflects a settlement between the carrier and DOT. "A total of $650,000 must be paid within 30 days, and up to $250,000 can be credited for refunds, vouchers, and frequent flyer mile awards provided to the passengers on the 15 flights on May 29, as well as to passengers on future flights that experience lengthy tarmac delays of less than three hours," the DOT said. For its part, American Eagle said it apologized to passengers on the delayed Chicago flights and provided either travel vouchers or frequent flyer program mileage credit. The carrier also said it had a new plan in place to avoid such tarmac delays in the future. The sizeable fine—the largest penalty to be paid by an airline in a civil protection case not involving civil rights — would appear a victory for consumers, and that's what DOT officials are touting. “We put the tarmac rule in place to protect passengers, and we take any violation very seriously,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in announcing the fine. "We will work to ensure that airlines and airports coordinate their resources and plans to avoid keeping passengers delayed on the tarmac.” Transportation officials have credited the threat of fines with dramatically reducing tarmac delays—from 693 delays of more than three hours during the 12 months before the new rule took effect to just 20 between May 2010 and April 2011. Except analysts and some in the airline industry are saying cancellations are one reason for the reduction, and that airlines will only cancel more flights under threat of big fines. "If there's a 20 percent chance of this happening, an airline will cancel," airline analyst Michael Boyd told the Associated Press. Ken Quinn, a former Federal Aviation Administration chief counsel who now represents airlines, told AP the tarmac rule will turn out to be inadvertently "anti-consumer," for the cancelation reason. But in a press release issued yesterday, the consumer group FlyerRights charged the airline industry was resorting to "scare tactics" in an attempt to thwart the reforms. "The purpose for the new passenger protections, including the fines, is to create incentives for the airlines to treat passengers more fairly, not give them an excuse to punish their customers further," said Kate Hanni, Kate Hanni, FlyersRights founder and Executive Director. "Hopefully the airlines focus their energy to comply with the new DOT rules, rather than thwart them." The DOT is completing a comprehensive study regarding the impact of the passenger protections, Hanni added. The passenger-focused group also called the $900,000 fine a "slap on the wrist." Meanwhile, all this comes as the feds are also looking into possible fines for tarmac delays last month during a freak Northeast snowstorm. Passengers on JetBlue and American flights sat for hours on the tarmac at snow-covered Bradley International Airport in Connecticut—those on one flight trapped on the plane for more than seven hours despite pleas by the captain to airport officials. More from Budget Travel: How Far Should the DOT Go to Protect Travelers? New Day for Fliers Rights Stuck on the Tarmac? How Long is Too Long