Week 8: Story Idea
Since this week’s announcement that Fidel Castro is stepping down as president of Cuba, tension between the country and the United States could be eased a little bit. When, and if, the US embargo is lifted, many tourism professionals speculate that cruise lines will be knocking down the doors of Cubans to make the small Caribbean island a future destination. Because of the lack of quality hotels, cruises lines would be able to bank off of their luxury ships.
To make this more a localized story, I would bring in the Spring Break angle. Many UF students are planning to go on week-long cruises, and I’d be curious to see just how many would consider Cuba as a destination they’d like to visit. Would they have any hesitation about visiting Cuba? Does it all stem from a dislike of Castro? If for some reason the embargo was lifted and cruises changed their destination packages, would any of the students consider changing their plans?
I’d also ask the agents at STA Travel in the Reitz Union about this topic. Their phone number is 338-0068. If cruises to Cuba were added to major chains like Carnival, Princess and Royal Caribbean, would they see an increase in interest for the destination? What kinds of traffic to they see to visit Cuba regardless? What sorts of hesitations have they noticed when it comes to Cuban travel?
I’d also talk to an expert on the political background of why Cuba and the United States have had such turmoil in the first place. One professor I’d like to interview is Stephen Craig, who is an expert on American politics. I’d also confer with Dennis Jett because he’s familiar with U.S. foreign policy and international relations, specifically Latin America.
Online I’d feature this story broken up. I’d have a student section and then interviews of the professional angle. Some graphics might include a timeline of Castro’s reign in Cuba and its declining political stance with the United States. I’d also have a graphic of a chart highlighting the past 20 years of American travel to Cuba and how they traveled and where they stayed specifically. I’d also have some audio clips of one of the professors outlining the potential significance of Castro’s resignation.
