Obama makes sweeping trade, travel changes

United States President Barack Obama sent an unmistakable message to the nation on Tuesday ahead of his historic trip to Havana: Cuba is open for business.

Punching fresh holes in the generations-old US embargo, Obama's administration removed the last meaningful restrictions on travel, putting a Cuba vacation within reach for millions of US citizens over the coming years. The sweeping changes also clear a path for Cuban athletes to one day play Major League Baseball and other professional sports.

Although tourism is still technically off-limits, the ban becomes essentially unenforceable, with US citizens permitted to travel on their own with no prior permission. White House officials said there would be "no shortage" of opportunities for US citizens to fill the loosely defined requirement that they engage with locals in a bid to further US-Cuban understanding.