The expectations regarding the recovery of tourism in Cuba stands at at least 2.5 million visitors through the next 12 months, in keeping with the authorities of the sector.
Complying with these forecasts will largely rely upon how the COVID-19 pandemic continues to behave within the country and the remainder of the world, as commented this Thursday by Cuban Minister of Tourism Juan Carlos García Granda through the third Gaviota Destinations Tourist Exchange, held within the Cayo Santa María tourist destination, in central Cuba.
Approaching the variety of tourists who arrived on the island during 2019 is the aim of the Cuban government, whose hopes for achieving this rest on the progressive recovery of the industry worldwide, but additionally on the sanitary protocols established within the country and the potential for vaccinating greater than 90% of the population before the tip of this 12 months.
To realize a rise in tourist activity after the reopening of borders on November 15, the authorities of the sector “face the challenge of restoring consumer confidence” and promoting the Cuba destination as one among the safest within the Caribbean, said García Granda, quoted by the Agencia Cubana de Noticias (ACN) news agency.
Durante la III Bolsa Turística #DestinosGaviota 2021,el Ministro de Turismo de #Cuba, @JuannCarlosGG, asegura su confianza en la recuperación turística tras la nueva normalidad que comenzó el pasado 15 de noviembre. ♥️🇨🇺 pic.twitter.com/0mQJ3svwxf
— Ministerio Turismo (@MinturCuba) December 9, 2021
“The health protocol that’s applied in tourist operations and services is of proven efficacy, since there have been no coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 client-worker infections up to now this 12 months,” said the Cuban tourism minister, who explained that in November greater than 50,000 visitors arrived in Cuba, mainly from Russia, one among the island’s most important tourist markets.
Data provided by the Ministry of Tourism show that currently greater than 2,200 facilities within the country have the More Hygienic and Secure Tourism certification.
As well as, about 25,000 individuals who work within the sector have received training on sanitary protocols, each in state facilities and in private ventures.
With the reopening of international travel in place since November, Cuba is attempting to get well tourism — its second official source of foreign currency income, only behind the sale of skilled services abroad — after greater than a 12 months and a half of restrictions and a drastic reduction in visitors attributable to the impact of the pandemic.
Before the coronavirus arrived on the island in March 2020, tourism contributed around 10% of the gross domestic product.
The Caribbean country intended to receive about 4.5 million international visitors last 12 months and reverse the 9.3% fall in 2019, when 4.2 million tourists traveled to the country, 436,352 lower than in 2018, in keeping with official data. But COVID-19 prevented it. And in the primary semester of 2021, only 114,460 international travelers arrived on the island, a figure that represents 870,739 fewer visitors than in the identical period of 2020.
