HAVANA, Cuba. – In its edition of last November 20, the newspaper Granma published information on the occasion of celebrating Cuban Tourism Day on that date. In journalistic work “Cuba has a competitive tourism product in the Caribbean” He realizes that it is “a celebration in a destination that is transforming to remain a competitive product in the Caribbean.”
The aforementioned information emphasizes the various modalities that the Island has to attract foreign tourists, such as nature tourism, cultural tourism, event tourism and health tourism. Likewise, it lists actions to be carried out in the next season (2025) with a view to demonstrating “how much there is to offer beyond our beaches.”
However, the authorities of the Ministry of Tourism do not provide any figure that reflects how the arrival of tourists to Cuba is going in 2024. If they had done so, the optimism shown in the information from Granma.
According to figures provided by economist Emilio Morales, from the Havana Consulting Group, between January and October 2024, the arrival of tourists to Cuba fell 48% compared to the same period in 2019. On the other hand, already It is almost a fact that we will not reach 3.5 million visitors that were expected for this year. Until October, only just over one and a half million tourists had arrived.
If in 2019 the Tourism sector contributed 3,185 million dollars to the country, in 2023 only 1,216 million dollars were received. Another fact that reflects the tourism debacle on the Island is that hotel occupancy is at 25%.
A range of factors are presented as causing this disaster in the Cuban tourism industry. There are shortages of basic products in hotels, especially food and fruits, while the emigration and exodus of workers towards other jobs, almost always in the non-state sector of the economy, has deprived the tourism sector of experienced labor with which provide better service.
It would also be necessary to consider some non-hotel realities, such as the constant blackouts in the cities, the growing crime that can be seen in the country, as well as the great urban deterioration – with the garbage bins overflowing from the collection tanks on every corner – as calamities. that discourage visitors who want to see something more than what the hotels offer.
On the other hand, other tourist destinations in the Caribbean show very different results from those obtained by Cuba. If we take data provided by the website Forwardkeys We observe the growth of several of the tourist destinations in the region during the first half of 2024. Compared to the same period in 2023, tourism in Puerto Rico grew by 18%, that of the Dominican Republic by 12%, that of Cancun (Mexico) by 7%, the Bahamas by 6%, and Jamaica by 2%. Specifically in the case of the Dominican Republic, it is stated that the country plans to reach 11.5 million visitors this year, mainly counting on the attractions of the Punta Cana resort.
Taking all of the above into account, the aforementioned information appearing in Granma. Because if the Cuban tourism sector lacks something – and look, it lacks so many things! – it is precisely competitiveness with respect to other tourist destinations in the Caribbean.
Nothing, once again we have to hold on to that maxim that says “paper can withstand anything you put on it.”
