OpenCuba campaign petitioners call on US government to give all Americans the right and freedom to travel to Cuba.

The OpenCuba.org campaign announced that it has passed the important milestone of receiving 100,000 signatures from petitioners calling on the U.S. government to restore to all Americans the freedom and right to travel to Cuba. Today Cuba is the only country in the world to which Americans are banned from traveling.

 "Never before in the history of the U.S. ban on travel to Cuba has there been such an upwelling of popular support for change," said Barney Harford, president and CEO of Orbitz Worldwide, which launched the OpenCuba.org campaign. "The bipartisan Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act, which is being considered by the House and Senate this session, already has 180 congressional and 32 senatorial co-sponsors. The 100,000 OpenCuba.org petitioners are sending a powerful message to U.S. lawmakers and President Obama that the time to act is now."

Americans are currently banned from traveling to Cuba. Cuba is the only country in the world covered by such travel restrictions. Americans today are free to travel to any other country, including countries such as Iran, Libya and North Korea.

Since launching in May, OpenCuba.org has received endorsements from Cuban-American groups including the Cuban American Alliance Education Fund, the Cuban American Commission for Family Rights and Friends of Caritas Cubana. Cuban-American leaders believe that the ban should be lifted in order to encourage the exchange of ideas between the people of the United States and Cuba. "U.S. citizens should have the right to travel to Cuba in order to serve as ambassadors for the values, ideals and freedoms that the United States represents," said Delvis Fernández Levy, President and Acting Executive Director of the Cuban American Alliance Education Fund.

The OpenCuba.org campaign also has received endorsements from a broad range of non-governmental organizations, industry trade associations and travel companies including:

• National Foreign Trade Council
• USA*Engage
• Fund for Reconciliation and Development
• NAFSA: Association of International Educators
• National Tour Association
• United States Tour Operators Association
• Adventure Travel Trade Association
• iExplore.com

"U.S. lawmakers and President Obama have a historic opportunity in front of them to restore the right and freedom of all Americans to visit Cuba," said Jake Colvin, vice president, National Foreign Trade Council. "This is a strong reflection of the grassroots support that exists for the complete removal of U.S. travel restrictions."

For more information on the OpenCuba campaign and to add your support visit www.OpenCuba.org