Airbnb's Cuba listings can now be rented by everyone

Airbnb's expansion into Cuba is about to get bigger. 

Thanks to improving relations between Cuba and the U.S., Airbnb has received authorization from the U.S. Department of Treasury to expand its Cuba operations to include non-U.S. travelers. 

Almost exactly on year ago, Airbnb received permission to begin operating in Cuba, but was only able to connect U.S. guests with accommodations.

The news for Airbnb comes as relations between Cuba and the U.S. continue to improve.

President Barack Obama is just about to begin a three-day trip to Cuba. It will be the first time in 88 years that a U.S. president sets foot on Cuban soil. The trip is part of the reopening of diplomatic and economic relations between the two counties. 

In July 2015, Obama made the initial announcement about the re-establishment of diplomatic ties.

Numerous U.S. companies have been looking into opportunities in Cuba, and the country has responded by offer business-friendly policies like development zones and tax cuts. Tourism is high on the list of industries that stand to benefit from improving relations.

Airbnb claims to already have around 4,000 listings in Cuba and to have served 13,000 guests on the island in the past year. 

Airbnb's business meshes reasonably well with Cuba's preexisting travel scene thanks to its "casas particulares" --  private homes that include rooms often rented out to travelers.

These rooms tend to be very affordable compared to average U.S. hotel prices. Plenty of listings cost less than $100 per night with ocean views.

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