Next FITCuba event will focus on sun and beach tourism
Cuban tourism officials have decided Cuba’s primary tourism showcase should return to the country’s sun-soaked tourism roots.
Officials announced during the country’s annual tourism show FITCuba that next year’s show will be held in Cuba’s prime tourism destination of Varadero and the show will be dedicated to Canada, which consistently remains Cuba’s top tourism market.
“The next show will be dedicated to sun and beach tourism,” Tourism Minister Juan Carlos Garcia Granda said during FITCuba, which this year ran from April 30 to May 3 and was held in Havana.
The 44th edition of the long-running show was staged in a hilltop fort dating back centuries, underscoring Havana’s long history. The Cuban capital is also seen as a great showcase for such Cuban cultural expressions as salsa.
Cuba has been working to diversify its tourism trade in recent years, touting the likes of history, culture and eco-tourism but the country’s numerous beaches remain its greatest draw.
Cuba has also been working to broaden its tourism base, with this year’s show having been dedicated to China, with Cuba actively courting Chinese tourists. Air China now has weekly Havana flights.
LEFT: Seen here are Sharon Arghittu of Hola Sun and Michel Bernal of the Cuba Tourism Board’s Montreal office. RIGHT: Hugo Ramirez and Nelsy Diaz Valdes familiarized show delegates on how Ecotur can enable their clients to tour Cuba.
“It’s true we need to diversify the market… but we cannot leave the Canadian market behind…,” Garcia Granda told a Canadian delegation during the show while announcing that the Varadero event will be dedicated to this country. “I always love to say Canadians have more friends in Cuba than they do in Canada.”
Garcia Granda acknowledged the Cuban economy has been struggling but pointed to a number of positive developments, including the reopening of a tourism school.
Earlier, Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz told show delegates his government will give tourism its fullest attention.
Marrero Cruz, speaking during the opening of FITCuba, acknowledged his country has had to contend with economic challenges and said tourism is critical in helping overcome them.
“Tourism has a role to play in the recovery of the Cuban economy, ” he told his Havana audience.
Marrero Cruz blamed many of the economic problems on American policies aimed at stifling Cuban tourism, policies he noted prevent American hotel companies from entering Cuba and pressured American cruise companies to drop Cuban ports.
Marrero Cruz announced a “restructuring” in tourism, including regulatory restructuring.
“These actions are part of a path that is already yielding results. We are granting more powers to businesspeople, improving their competitiveness and allowing them to manage their income with greater flexibility. We have also incorporated the leasing of hotel facilities, which will have a positive impact,” Garcia Granda added.
Beach tourism has always been at the core of Cuban tourism but Marrero Cruz — himself a former tourism minister — said his homeland isn’t simply for sun-seekers.
“It’s more than sun and sand,” he said, adding that the likes of those who appreciate nature, history, culture, sports and wellness can enjoy Cuban vacations.
Marrero Cruz noted that this year marks the 35th anniversary of Spanish hotel chain Melia’s arrival in Cuba, with the Spanish company becoming the first foreign hotel firm to do business in post-revolution Cuba.
Melia is now the dominant hotel company in the Caribbean country.
Garcia Granda in turn used the opening to praise the host city of Havana, declaring it to be a “wonderful city,” and invited show delegates to have a “mojito at the Bodeguita del Medio,” the landmark Old Havana watering hole frequented by Ernest Hemingway during his long stay in Havana.
LEFT: Roberto Diaz of Gaviota and Marti Aragones of Melia attended a presentation by Tourism Minister Juan Carlos Garcia Granda in Old Havana. RIGHT: Dancing in Havana can be an uplifting experience!
