Five myths about Moscow

The U.S. Department of Treasury issued a statement last week that it "is aware of misstatements in the media suggesting that U.S. foreign policy now allows for virtually unrestricted group travel to Cuba." Indeed, Budget Travel was among those media outlets that reported that "all Americans can now travel to Cuba, so long as they go with a licensed tour operator performing 'people-to-people' trips." In January, the Treasury Department expanded its licensing of travel to Cuba to include organizations that sponsor educational exchange programs that promote contact with the Cuban people. Following the news, several tour operators announced their intent to launch Cuba "people-to-people" travel programs in 2012, including Globus, Insight Vacations and Abercrombie & Kent. But after a flood of media coverage about the opening up of Cuba as a travel destination, the Treasury Department last week advised travelers to review its regulations regarding travel to Cuba "to determine whether his or her proposed travel-related transactions are or could be authorized under this or any other travel license category." The Treasury Department said that it will only license people-to-people groups in which all participants have a full-time schedule of educational exchange activities. "Authorized activities by people-to-people groups are not 'tourist activities' under the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000, which prohibits [the U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control] from licensing travel-related transactions for tourist activities," the Treasury Department stated. Furthermore, travelers to Cuba will have daily spending limits and are prohibited from bringing any Cuban souvenirs or any other Cuban goods back to the States. Following the Treasury Department's updated warning, A&K; put its Cuba program on hold "until such a time as we gain clarity on the regulations for travel to Cuba," according to an A&K; spokesperson. More from Budget Travel: Should the government ease all restrictions on Cuba travel? Cuba prepares for an end to the travel ban Inside Cuba

The French government recognizes that if it is going to get American tourists to stay longer and spend more money when visiting, the country needs to rebrand itself as a more welcoming nation. "People often talk about France as an arrogant nation," said France's Secretary of State for Tourism, Frederic Lefebvre, who was in New York earlier this month to unveil a new tourism marketing strategy. "We would like to make a strong effort to improve the sense of welcoming in France," said Lefebvre. Consequently, the French government and Atout France, the country's destination marketing agency, have launched a new tourism marketing campaign called "Rendez-vous en France," complete with a new logo and a new approach to tourism. The new logo incorporates an image of Marianne, the national emblem of France, along with the phrase "Rendez-vous en France." The logo also includes the new French tourism website, Rendezvousenfrance.com. The logo will be seen on the badges of employees involved in the tourism industry in France, Lefebrve explained. For example, it will be on the badges of people posted at the airport to welcome and provide assistance to tourists when they arrive in France. "We are number one in the world in terms of the number of tourists that come to France every year. We are 20 million tourists ahead of the United States," said Lefebvre. "But, in terms of sales, we are very far behind the U.S." France welcomed 76.8 million tourists in 2010, said Lefebrve. But "the problem is that in terms of sales, we are declining. And we are declining because we need to increase the length of stay," said the tourism minister. He said that France brings in about $64.7 billion in annual tourism revenue, compared to Spain, which brings in about $74.7 billion annually, and the U.S., which brings in about $146.5 billion. Of France's 76.8 million tourists, about three million are U.S. tourists, and that number has been relatively flat year-over-year, said Lefebrve. In addition to France's image issue, other reasons U.S. tourists hesitate traveling to France are the dollar-euro exchange rate and rising airfares, he noted. What about you? Have you been or would you like to go to France? Do you considerate the French arrogant, and has that turned you off from visiting the country? Let us know! More from Budget Travel: Top 10 reasons we love France 29 Stunning Photos of France France's new impressionism festival makes for a fun day trip from Paris

Happy Bastille Day! Or as the French say, Bonne La Fête Nationale! It's the French equivalent of the Fourth of July, with parades and parties to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of modern France. Launch our slide show: 29 Stunning Photos of France. We, too, would like to celebrate the red, white, and blue of a different flag, so we present our Top 10 reasons we love France: 1. Crepes at every corner in Paris 2. It gave the world Nutella 3. The music of Edith Piaf 4. Wine is appropriate with every meal 5. The word boulangerie (it means bread shop) 6. The smell boulangeries emit, which permeates every street corner in the morning 7. It inspired Woody Allen's whimsical Midnight in Paris 8. Lavender fields in July 9. Rosé from the Côte du Rhône region 10. The French kiss What do you love about France? MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Get your French on for Bastille Day 25 Reasons We Love New Orleans France's new impressionism festival makes for a fun day trip from Paris

"Wanderlust is not a passion for travel, exactly; it's something more animal and more fickle -- something more like lust." These words appear in the prologue of Elisabeth Eaves' new memoir-travelogue Wanderlust: A Love Affair with Five Continents, setting up the chapters that follow in which the author backpacks through rarefied countries such as Yemen, bunks with a house full of Aussie slackers, hikes through the jungles of Papua New Guinea, sails (and nearly dies) during a storm in the South Pacific, and embraces new lovers and escapism at every turn. Eaves was kind enough to answer BT's questions below. (For more on the book, check out the New York Times review.) When travelers say they want to go somewhere, it's often because they want to see places or things -- famous buildings, lions on a safari, beautiful beaches. But your book is filled with stories about the people you meet on your travels. Which factor is more important to you when deciding where to go on a trip: Is it the things you see, or the people you anticipate meeting? Elisabeth Eaves: They're inextricable. I love buildings, lions and beaches as much as anyone, but people shape the character of your trip. Cultures are by definition made up of people: we like foreign cultures because they're full of foreign people. I have no interest in moon tourism because there aren't any people there. Speaking of which, in all your travels, which country has the people you like the most? Who are the most fun, most friendly, and most interesting people in the world? E.E.: If you're looking for a combination of all three, Spain is pretty high up there. Come to think of it, I'm not sure why I don't live in Spain. They invented techno and flan and have dinner at 11. In many of your trips, you don't plan much of anything in advance. When dropping in on a new town, what are your favorite ways to size the place up, get your bearings, and figure out where to stay, where to eat, what to do, etc.? E.E.: I get cash as soon as possible. It's comforting to be prepared for off-balance-sheet transactions. And there's nothing more annoying than needing to pay cash and being 50 miles from the nearest ATM. Other than that? I use guidebooks for maps and hotel listings, but otherwise I wing it. I go for walks. I dislike places where you can't go for walks, such as freeway-side exurbs. While a lot is written about travel, there are things no one really talks or writes about. (I'm thinking specifically about the masturbators in Yemen you write about.) Can you think of other examples -- of things that travelers experience, but that nobody really talks about? E.E.: Loneliness. Fear. Relying too heavily on the kindness of strangers, in the Blanche Dubois sense. The fact that many people, and indeed whole cultures, are, once you get beyond the fact that they dress and eat and talk differently, just plain dull. At least to an over-stimulated Westerner. People who live in the jungle spend a lot of time staring at each other. Once you've exhausted the subjects of marital status and yams, you need a book. You don't travel like the typical tourist/traveler. Are there things that the typical traveler does that'll never make sense to you? Perhaps the stuff they buy, the way they tour cities or regions, or even the places they choose to visit? E.E.: I almost never buy souvenirs. I don't get the point. I have a low tolerance for clutter, and most souvenirs qua souvenirs end up as clutter. And I don't like to take stuff from beaches -- I figure it belongs there. On the beach, rocks and shells are beautiful. In my home they're clutter. So much of the book, and about travel in general, is about searching -- that yearning to see and experience something new, foreign, exciting, just plain different. But do you ever wish you didn't have wanderlust? Do you ever wish you were completely content to stay put somewhere? E.E.: Nope, not for a second. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: Expert Tips for Couples Traveling Together Take My Word: Best-Selling Writers on Travel Pet travel tips from 'Privileged Pooch' author Maggie Espinosa