With President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro making history by coming together for their first face-to-face meeting Saturday, Cuba is closer than ever to being removed from the State Department’s list of countries that sponsor terrorism. But, with help from Miami-based Am Law 200 firm Akerman, one company did not wait for that crucial milestone before expanding into the island nation: Airbnb.
The short-term rental service announced last week that it was releasing over 1,000 listings in Cuba ranging from couches and spare bedrooms to beachfront villas. The move came only three months after Obama’s announcement that certain types of businesses, including those in the tourism industry, would be allowed to transact in Cuba on a limited basis.
