MIAMI — When news broke that Washington and Havana would be renewing diplomatic relations, the phones at InsightCuba began ringing off the hook with Americans interested in traveling to the island.

InsightCuba and other people-to-people providers, which are licensed to organize trips to Cuba that promote engagement between Americans and the Cuban people, anticipate more travel. But some providers say even bigger changes are ahead — perhaps allowing authorized travelers to visit on their own rather than only on an organized tour.

“It’s all a bit tentative because Treasury hasn’t come up with the new travel regulations yet,” said John McAuliff, executive director of the Fund for Reconciliation and Development, which has worked to end the U.S. embargo since 1985. “But it’s clear in the language of the president’s announcement that they’re talking about every American, not just organizations. “

McAuliff, who has organized people-to-people tours — the most recent in November — said he expects the whole process of Cuba travel will be shaken up and that the changes could make Cuba travel more accessible to a wider demographic of Americans.

Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sent an e-mail to those in the Cuban travel business last week saying the new regulations would be out in a matter of weeks. When Obama reauthorized people-to-people trips in early 2011, it took nearly four months to release the regulations, and the first people-to-people trips didn’t take off until that August.

Since then, Treasury has approved or renewed the licenses of 463 people-to-people operators, ranging from university alumni groups to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The National Trust for Historic Preservation and Elderhostel.

Tom Popper, president of InsightCuba, said he expects the Cuban travel business to become far more competitive — with any travel agency that complies with the new regulations allowed to sell tickets.

He bases his interpretation on this paragraph in a White House Fact Sheet on the changes that mentions allowing travelers who fall within 12 categories to visit Cuba without seeking prior approval from the U.S. government:

“Travelers in the 12 categories of travel to Cuba authorized by law will be able to make arrangements through any service provider that complies with the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control regulations governing travel services to Cuba, and general licenses will authorize provision of such services.”

In OFAC terminology, a general license means that a traveler doesn’t need to seek prior approval from the U.S. government to travel if they self-certify that they fall into one of the 12 categories.

“I think I’ve read that paragraph 150 times,” Popper said. “Travel to Cuba just got a whole lot easier.”

But Phil Peters, who heads the Cuba Research Center and also has a people-to-people license, isn’t so sure about the interpretation that independent travel will be allowed.

“It’s possible, but it’s not clear,” he said. “There have been a lot of experiences where the government has issued general guidelines and then the actual regulations surprise you.”

While the U.S. permits those with family members in Cuba to travel freely to the island, most Americans can go to Cuba legally only by taking a people-to-people tour.