MIAMI, United States. – Couples married in July 2024 will be able to buy “different items” at reduced prices in state commercial units, a measure by the Ministry of Domestic Trade (MINCIN) supposedly to support young people in their first steps as a married couple, according to the state newspaper report Forward.
According to the MINCIN directive, interested couples must formalize their applications in the departments authorized for this purpose, presenting the receipt issued by the Provincial Directorate of Justice (DPJ) and their identification documents.
Elaine Porro Izquierdo, a senior specialist at the Business Group of Commerce (GECI), reported that newlyweds will be able to purchase a wide range of products, including trousseaus, clothing, household appliances, mattresses and furniture, among others.
“These resources have a differentiated cost and are lower than those currently available on the state market,” explained Porro Izquierdo, who also said that other high-demand items are being managed to expand the supply.
In the case of Camagüey, the commercial units designated for this initiative are Tropicana Moda, from the La Gran Antilla Base Business Unit (UEB), for residents of the provincial capital, and Orbe, from the La Vajilla UEB, for the bride and groom from the rest of the territories of the province.
The initiative is reminiscent of the program implemented several years ago, and is part of a set of measures that seek to provide support to different groups of the population, according to Forward.
This week it also emerged that the Cubatur travel agency (state-owned) had begun to promote the Island as a destination for international weddings and 15th birthday parties, following the celebration of the Wedding Expo 2024, which will take place for the first time in the largest of the Antilles on November 15 and 16.
The event, which will be held at the Free Havana Hotelhas been presented as an opportunity to position Cuba in the global market for wedding ceremonies, with the intention of capturing the attention of tour operators, travel agencies and potential clients from various parts of the world, according to a report from the middle Travel Trade Caribbean.
According to that source, in a press conference held last week, the organizers of Expo Bodas 2024 highlighted the participation of 37 exhibitors, including hotel chains, travel agencies and services. cateringseeking to showcase their offerings.
In addition to establishing itself as a showcase for services, the event joins the Cuban government’s strategy to mitigate the economic crisis that the country is going through, offering wedding tourism as an alternative source of income amid the shortages and restrictions that citizens face.
During the press conference, Juan Carlos Govea, Cubatur’s main specialist in Market, Events and Incentives, stressed that the Wedding Expo aims to showcase Cuba as an “elegant and unique” destination for weddings.
The commitment to the international wedding market, as well as the focus on countries such as CanadaGermany, France, Mexico and Brazil, which according to Govea show a “growing demand” to celebrate weddings in Cuba, reflects a disconnect between the needs of the population and the priorities of the regime, which once again invests in promoting events for foreigners instead of addressing the internal problems that plague the nation.
According to available information, Expo Bodas is expected to be held annually, with the next edition scheduled for September 2025.
