ANYONE CURRENTLY HOLIDAYING in Cuba, or planning on visiting the island, have been urged to contact their travel agent immediately.

It comes as the Department of Foreign Affairs upgraded its travel advice for Cuba to warn against non-essential travel to the Caribbean island.

The Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) has said it is understood that there are very few, if any, Irish holiday makers currently in Cuba.

It has advised those who had plans to travel to Cuba to contact their ITAA travel agent and travel insurer immediately and to follow the advice of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The advice issued against non-essential travel is the second-highest level of warning that can be issued by the Department.

Countries or territories at this level are deemed to have “serious and potentially life-threatening risks”.

The Department added that its ability to provide consular assistance to Irish citizens in such locations is “extremely limited”.

Cuba’s economic problems have worsened with moves by US President Donald Trump to economically strangle the Caribbean country.

Trump has vowed to cut off oil and fuel deliveries to Cuba, following the US military operation last month to attack Venezuela’s capital Caracas and grab leader Nicolas Maduro. Venezuela had been Cuba’s main supplier of oil.

The United Nations said last week that it was deeply alarmed by the crisis unfolding in Cuba.

Cuba’s government – which had already been grappling with frequent power cuts and a lack of food and medicine – this week ordered a series of emergency measures, including restrictions on fuel sales and reduced public transport.

Long queues at petrol stations are common and petrol is currently limited to a maximum purchase of 20 litres.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has said that in response to the fuel shortage, some guests in Cuba have been moved from the resorts they have booked to other hotels, to maximise efficient use of available power.

The Department further warned that some airlines cannot refuel on the island, which has resulted in some routes being cancelled.

Clare Dunne, CEO of the ITAA, “strongly recommend” anyone thinking of traveling to Cuba adhere to the Department of Foreign Affairs travel advice.

She added that the ITAA’s advice to any prospective Irish travellers who may have already booked a holiday to Cuba is to “immediately check with both your travel agent and your travel insurance”.

“When the DFA advises to Avoid Essential Travel to a particular country, Cuba in this instance, it usually means that the travel insurance policy will not cover travel to that country.”

November to March is normally the best time to travel to Cuba, but Dunne said the number of Irish citizens who travel from Ireland to Cuba has declined over the past few years and is now very low.

“This is mainly down to two reasons,” said Dunne.

“Connectivity to Cuba from Ireland is very limited and secondly, travellers who travel to Cuba are not then eligible to apply for an ESTA to visit the USA and must instead apply to the US Embassy for an entry visa.”