An organisation called Education Travel Alliance (ETA) has contacted the BSF about bringing American senior slowpitch teams on a UK tour in 2016. But that's not all they do. ETA also arranges slowpitch, fastpitch and baseball tours to Cuba, and they will be happy to do this for teams from Britain.
ETA has been arranging sport and cultural tours to Cuba since 1998, and they have been supported by the US government to do so, long before the current thaw in US-Cuban relations which is bound to make these kinds of tours easier.
So if any existing slowpitch or fastpitch teams are interested, or individuals want to make up a team for the purpose of a Cuban tour, ETA will be able to organise a land-only programme (which means our teams would be responsible for booking flights to Cuba and securing tourist cards or visas).
ETA would then arrange all games, fields, transportation and Cuban opponents at an appropriate level, plus umpires and scorers, and would also sort out tours, hotels, guides, and some or all meals – though they recommend going out for meals and experiencing Cuban restaurants and hospitality.
According to ETA's Gary Siegel, “The best times of year to be in Cuba are mid-October through mid-March, and we can set up trips for as long or short a time as people desire.”
Relationships
In the process of setting up tours, ETA maintains close working relationships with many non-governmental institutions in Cuba including the Ludwig Foundation for the Arts, the renowned company Danza Contemporanea de Cuba, the National Chorus of Cuba and others, and has reliable contacts at the Cuban government travel organization Havanatour for hotels and other travel services.
As well as playing sport in Cuba, meetings with artists, academics, and authors can offer a genuine learning experience and make the tour more personal.
Any interest?
ETA would like to know if there is any interest in softball tours to Cuba from the UK.
Any team or individual who thinks they might be interested – whether you play slowpitch or fastpitch – should contact Bob Fromer (bob.fromer@bsuk.com).