Cuba's Ministry of Tourism, Mr. Juan Carlos García Granda, visited Canada to meet with tour operators, airlines, hotel managers and other suppliers in Toronto and Montreal. The Minister was accompanied by Yanier Castellanos, Consul General of Cuba in Toronto, Héctor Igarza, Cuba's Ambassador to Canada, Pilar Álvarez, Director of Marketing of MINTUR, Lessner Gómez, Director of the Cuba Tourism Board in Toronto.
According to the director of the Cuban Tourism Office in Toronto, Mr. Lessner Gómez, Minister of Tourism of Cuba Juan Carlos García Granda met with executives of tourism companies, including Jetlines, Swoop and Air Canada Vacations, reiterating their interest in Cuba and its growth.
On the other hand, the director of the Cuban Tourism Office in Montreal, Mr. Michel Bernal, told us that García Granda met mainly with Montreal tour operators from Air Transat Group and Sunwing to coordinate businness for the summer 2023 push.
He also met with the travel media in Toronto to update them on the improvements and new developments on the island. The incumbent explained that the recovery of Canadian tourism has been eminent, reaching 80 percent with respect to 2019 welcoming around 290,000 Canadians to the beautiful Caribbean Island since the beginning of 2023. He added that the goal is to recover and if possible, surpass one million Canadian visitors.
Garcia Granda declared to media that supply issues that have provoked complaints from Canadian tourists have eased over the winter, resulting in a higher level of satisfaction on post-trip surveys.
"We have had issues with some supplies. But the Cuban government is working with foreign companies at the retail and wholesale level to improve the accessibility of products, supplies and know-how," Granda said. The tourism minister promised that by the next winter season, the problem will be solved, and visitors might find some familiar products being served at their hotels.
Discovering Other Faces of Cuba.
The minister hopes that more tour operators will offer guided tours that showcase colonial architecture, Cuban culture, and nature. "Combining beach vacations with vacations that show other facets of Cuba would allow visitors to enjoy Cuba more," said García Granda.
He added that one of Cuba's strengths is that they are more than just sun and beach. For instance, it is easy to combine a city break in Havana with an all-inclusive beach vacation like Varadero.
Orbita Popular has seen other facets of Cuban life, highlighting the vast nature offered by Topes de Collantes that allows to admire the fertile valleys surrounding the lake, the beautiful waterfalls with dense forests where you can identify various species and ecosystems. This excursion is ideal for nature and ecotourism lovers. Another Cuban natural treasure that Orbita discovered is the Viñales Valley , catalogued by UNESCO as a "National Park and World Heritage Site", located two hours from Havana, you can admire beautiful landscapes of exceptional nature, it also has 300 caverns where the Cueva del Indio stands out and where agro-ecology and responsible tourism are practiced.
The Paradise Island of Cayo Largo
As for new products, Minister Garcia Granda pointed out that the destination of Cayo Largo is already open to vacationers, and it is having lots of success.
It should be recalled that the Canadian company Blue Diamond obtained the exclusive exploitation rights in this Cuban paradise island. They manage 11 hotels with about 1,348 rooms on the island, restaurants, bars and even the port. This exclusivity agreement with the Cuban government was granted to the Voyage Sunwing Group and will last 10 years.
The first flights to Cayo Largo from Montreal, Toronto, Quebec and Ottawa took place in early November 2022,
where the Memories Cayo Largo , Starfish Cayo Largo, Villas Linda Mar and Marina were the first hotels to welcome their clients.
Improvements for Vacationers
As announced during his last visit, Garcia Granda confirmed the improvements made in the hotel infrastructure throughout Cuba taking advantage of the pandemic forced pause. Internet access continues to be free in all hotels in Cuba and depending on the hotel, Wi-Fi may now extend beyond the lobbies, to the pools or to the beach. The minister also announced that vacationers will be able to access Cuba's fully digitalized tourist visa by the end of October.
García Granda recalled that the International Tourism Fair FIT Cuba 2023 will be held from May 1 to 5 in Havana. The fair will feature cultural exhibits and showcase part of the historic side of the Cuban capital, with a hilltop fortress built by the Spanish centuries ago occupying a prominent place at the fair as the "Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabaña".
