The Cuban government recognized the non-compliance with the official goals for visitors to the Island that have occurred in the last two years, which is why it has lowered its expectations regarding the arrival of tourists it expects during 2024.
According to the official press, during the commission period of the National Assembly of People’s Power, a goal of 3.1 million tourists was established for next year, unlike the 3.5 million that were established in 2022 and 2023.
The reduction in the goal comes after, by 2023, it was determined that only 70% of the objective will be achieved, and this only if the winter season goes well for the Castro regime.
Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz and the Minister of Tourism, Juan Carlos García Granda, participated in this period of commissions, who recognized various “problems” that prevented the fulfillment of the tourism plans.
These problems, according to the government, are the absence of a system approach to integrated destination management; restrictions on payment methods for services; the deterioration of infrastructure to support tourism activity, the insufficient preparation of local governments to guarantee tourism management of their territories; and difficulties with human capital.
For now, the Island is struggling to return to its pre-pandemic tourism levels, as it received five million visitors in 2019, and while this is happening, other nations in the region, such as the Dominican Republic and Mexico, have already recovered the number of visitors. that was seen before the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the meeting, the prime minister, who spent more than 15 years in charge of the Ministry of Tourism, said that it was necessary to increase commercial actions such as the insertion of new tour operators, increase online sales, increase participation in fairs and commercial exchanges, and implement actions focused on the circular economy, to improve the situation.
“The safest earnings in foreign currency in the country are those that come from tourism activity. That is why tourism is called the locomotive of the economy; and our enemies know it,” said Marrero Cruz, who could not help but blame the United States for the crisis in Cuba.
For his part, García Granda indicated that, to try to solve the deficit of visitors, the Cuban government is looking for a way to expand into other markets, such as Latin America.
“We have not reactivated flights, as we would like; “But I believe that we must look for new markets that generate visitors, such as Latin American countries.”
