CubaPLUS Magazine

Cuban Tourism Minister Juan Carlos García emphasized the country's commitment to recovering and strengthening the travel industry this Wednesday, speaking before ambassadors from Western Europe and Canada.

The meeting took place in the Taganana Room of the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, where he offered a detailed explanation of the current situation of the smokeless industry in this archipelago and the efforts to resolve its most pressing problems.

He noted that this sector continues to be considered the engine of the country's economy, with the goal of boosting other areas and facilitating solutions to other indicators. Along with the Minister, the meeting was chaired by Pilar Álvarez, Director of Marketing of the Ministry of Tourism (Mintur), and Ileana Núñez, Director of the European Department of the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

García argued that Cuba currently has 84,164 hotel rooms, 719 of them in Pinar del Rio, Artemisa (247), Havana (14,301), Mayabeque (466), Isla de la Juventud (145), Cayo Largo del Sur (1,348), Matanzas (451), Varadero (22,990), Villa Clara (13,737), and Cienfuegos (921). The list also includes Sancti Spírtus (500), Trinidad (1,554), Ciego de Ávila (13,300), Camagüey (1,853), Las Tunas (340), Holguín (8,205), Granma (795), Santiago de Cuba (1,776), and Guantánamo (516).

Cuba currently has 10 international airports and an equal number of marinas, with three cruise ship terminals. From 1990 to the present, the government has promoted tourism, reaching more than four million foreign visitors in 2016. This figure declined shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic, and is now surpassing two million as it seeks recovery.

In 1996, the first million was reached, in 2004 the second, in 2014 the third, and in 2016 the four million mark was reached, under expectations of reaching a record five million. By 2022, after the pandemic and other pressures, it fell to one million 614,087, and last year it fell to two million 203,117.

As a result of the intensification of the United States economic, financial, and trade sanctions (blockade) against Cuba, tourism has also taken a severe hit, he emphasized. Despite this, 19 foreign management companies from 10 countries operate in Cuba, managing 57,291 rooms in 153 facilities, led by Spain and Meliá Hotels International, which manages 36 establishments.

Currently operating in Cuba are, in addition to Meliá, Blue Diamond Hotels and Resorts (Canada), Iberostar Hotels and Resorts (Spain), MGM Muthu Hotels (India), Archipiélago (Indonesia), Valentín Hotels (Spain), Roc Hotels (Spain), Pagas Touristik (Turkey), Sirenis Hotels and Resorts (Spain), and Barceló Hotels and Resorts (Spain). Completing the list are Bayan Tree (Singapore), Anex Tour (Turkey), Vila Galé (Portugal), Blau Hotels and Resorts (Spain), Kempinski Hotels S.A. (Switzerland), NH Hotels (Spain), Groupe Lucien Barrier (France), River Rock (Turkey), and Axel Corporation Grupo Hotelero (Spain).

The pressure from the United States is significant, the minister stated. Among the main unilateral measures, in 2017, are the tightening of the blockade with 243 measures; in 2019, the activation of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act and the ban on 422 accommodation facilities; and, in that same year, the suspension of cruise ships.

(Taken from Prensa Latina)