The 42nd edition of the International Tourism Fair of Cuba (FITCuba) opened its doors this Thursday at the Jardines del Rey tourist destination, amid the sector’s doubts due to the weak number of visitors and with news like that of the island implementing a new electronic visa system for tourism.
According to Travel Trade Caribbean, Tourism Minister Juan Carlos García Granda said during the inauguration that as of May 6 and until June 30 the island will implement the new electronic visa system for tourism, replacing the current tourist card.
Ministro turismo @JuannCarlosGG: " A partir del 6 mayo y hasta 30 junio #Cuba implementará nuevo sistema de visado electrónico para el Turismo, en sustitución actual tarjeta de turista" con apoyo de @minre pic.twitter.com/CZg2qG64SV
— Travel Trade Caribbean (@TTC_Cuba) May 2, 2024
García explained that the mechanism will be “implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Relations and Immigration and Foreigners,” Prensa Latina (PL) news agency pointed out.
It will be applied gradually, and giving priority to our main issuing markets to the island, the official said.
The main event for this industry, one of the strategic sectors of the Cuban economy, extends until May 5 in the northern keys of Ciego de Ávila province, considered the island’s second sun and beach destination behind Varadero.
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In fact, during the inauguration García Granda also said that “it is this island’s first destination that is recovering, growing at a rate of more than 4%,” according to Prensa Latina news agency.
Latin American and Caribbean markets
FITCuba, dedicated this year to the Latin American and Caribbean markets, brings together more than 670 professionals in the tourism sector from countries such as Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Italy and Canada, among others.
Among the objectives of the fair is to seek greater air connectivity and approach the regional tourism market, according to the Cuban authorities of the sector.
Cuba received a million tourists in 2024, with Canada as the main market (399,272 between January and March), followed by Russia, with 66,887.
The Cuban government maintains its aspiration to reach 3.2 million tourists this year, which would represent an improvement compared to 2.4 million travelers in 2023.
However, it would be below 4.6 and 4.2 million in 2018 and 2019, respectively, received before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite this, according to García Granda, in 2023 Cuban tourism had a growth of 1.8 % in terms of visitors.
Economic crisis and tourism
The situation contrasts with similar destinations from the region, such as Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) and Cancun (Mexico), registering historical numbers of visitors after the pandemic.
In recent years, tourism had been the second sector contributing to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the third source of foreign exchange, after professional services ― mainly doctors ― and the sending of remittances from abroad, according to estimates of various independent experts.
Tourism does not escape the deep crisis Cuba is suffering, topped by the confluence of the pandemic, the hardening of U.S. sanctions and the mistakes in the design and implementation of the island’s economic policies.
EFE/OnCuba
