Cuba confident in tourism recovery despite challenges in first quarter Floridita Bar, Havana, Cuba. Photo: Abel Rojas Barallobre The Cuban tourism industry faces a challenging start to the year, although authorities remain optimistic about reactivation in the coming months, supported by the destination's resilience and ongoing strategic actions. According to data from the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI), Cuba received 298,057 international tourists in the first quarter of 2016, a lower figure than in the same period of the previous year. March closed with 35,561 visitors, following 77,663 in February and 184,833 in January. However, industry analyses highlight that this situation is due to concentrated external factors, such as the restrictions imposed by the tightening of the US blockade and its effects on fuel availability, and not to a loss of the destination's appeal. Despite the challenging circumstances, markets like Argentina and China showed positive performance, with [...]

Havanatur S.A. updates its online sales site The digital platform of the Havanatur S.A. International Group of Tour Operators and Travel Agencies has a new design and incorporates tools to facilitate booking tourist services in Cuba, the company announced through its official social media channels. The new version of the site—available at www.havanatur.cu—introduces significant improvements to the user experience with a more comprehensive, faster, and more intuitive interface, and a responsive design that allows booking from any device. Among the key new features are the ability to make reservations in incognito mode, as well as the addition of a shopping cart that allows multiple payments for services in a single transaction. Customers registered on the previous version must renew their registration to access the new features. Payment methods remain the same: Cuban pesos (CUP) through the Transfermóvil and Enzona platforms. On the site, users can book accommodations, transfers, tours, and other [...]

A virtual FITCuba 2026: Showcasing the resilience of Cuban tourism By: Rachell Cowan Canino Amid the energy and air connectivity challenges facing Cuba, FITCuba 2026 is reinventing itself. This was confirmed by Lessner Gómez, marketing director of the Ministry of Tourism, in an exclusive interview with Travel Trade Caribbean (TTC), which will be published in our special edition of the magazine and of which we have already shared some details. "We are going to show the world that tourism is not dead, that Cuba is still alive," Gómez stated. The fair will be held from May 7 to 9 in a hybrid format: two fully virtual professional days (May 7 and 8) through the platform www.fitcuba.net, and one in-person day open to the public on Sunday, May 9, at Josone Park in Varadero. The decision, the official explained, is a response to the intensification of the US blockade in the energy [...]