He Ministry of Tourism of Cuba (Mintur) This week it acknowledged “quality effects” of its services in 2022, while confirming the plan to receive 3.5 million foreign visitors this year.
During a balance of tourist activity last year, the Mintur confirmed that in that period the island received 64.6% of the 2.5 million planned tourists. This, in turn, represents 37.8% of those who did so in 2019 and a growth of 4.5 times compared to 2021, refers the official site cubadebate.
In addition, the report specifies that the sector’s income plan was not met either, which reached up to 74% of what was expected and only 36.2% of what was entered in 2019.
The information also ensures that, from a national survey carried out on the subject, the general satisfaction of tourists was 92.9%; the possible repetition, of 90.7%; the recommendation of the destination, 92.3%; and the positive assessment of the value for money, of 85.7%.
However, the tourism authorities in Cuba indicated that “regardless of these results, we consider that there has been a group of effects on quality,” according to cubadebate.
Among the problems identified, the Mintur listed “the lack of food and beverages and supplies, deficient service, insufficient leisure and entertainment activities in tourist poles, lack of maintenance in the facilities and unstable internet service.”
Similarly, he acknowledged that “complaints of assistance by national receptives” and “difficulties in refueling, both for aviation and for rental cars and guarantees for circuits” were reported, the report added.
Cuba aspires to 3.5 million tourists in 2023 despite its “limitations”
Another of the problems pointed out is the fluctuation of human capital. In this sense, according to the balace report, at the end of 2022 the Mintur entities had 116,966 employees. However, the fluctuation rate last year was 20.1%, against 5.11% in 2021.
In general, the authorities of the sector said they were “aware of our shortcomings and limitations that go through challenges that go from the internal to the external”, and they called to transform the ways of doing things, and to increase “the attention and demand for good practices and quality in daily work”.
During the balance, the Mintur confirmed the plan to receive 3.5 million foreign visitors in 2023.
In addition, he indicated as other objectives of the year “to take advantage of the opportunities that FITCUBA and the existing infrastructure can provide to carry out other events, promote Cuban rum and tobacco, and the cultural and patrimonial attractions”, the official information refers to.
The Cuban tourism sector suffered a drastic drop in recent years as a result of COVID-19. Added to this is the negative impact of US sanctions — which under the Trump government paralyzed the then-flourishing flow of US cruise ships to Cuba — and the war in Ukraine, which has affected the arrival of Russian visitors to the island.
In 2021, Cuba received just 351,470 international visitors, a figure that in 2022 rose to 1,614,087, according to data of the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI). However, this number is still well below the more than 4 million tourists reported before the pandemic.
According to preliminary reports, also quoted by ONEIthe island received 488,989 foreign visitors between January and February of this year, especially those arriving from Canada (252,838), followed by Cubans residing abroad (51,187).
