Jul 1, 1:10 PM (ET)

By PETER ORSI
HAVANA (AP) - Washington has begun issuing travel licenses that promise to bring thousands more U.S. visitors each year on legal trips to Cuba.
A U.S. Treasury Department spokesperson says nine groups have been granted permission to operate so-called people-to-people exchanges since May.
The spokesperson said Friday that about 10 applications are coming in each week, and officials are reviewing them.