Dare to live Cuba with Havanatur

Foto: Havanatur.

For Daily Pérez Guillén

Taken of TTC 292, World Travel Market.

The International Group of Tour Operators and Travel Agencies celebrated its 45 years with Megafam 2023. More than 320 travel agents from various countries, airlines and the press from different regions of the world toured the east of the country together with the only 100% Cuban tour operator.

The organizers of the great event that presents Cuba as a unique and different destination, took the meeting for the first time to the eastern provinces of the Caribbean nation — previous editions had been held in Varadero, the destination’s main consolidated market for sun and beach tourism.

In an interview with the Latin American news agency Prensa Latina, Yoelkis Salazar Rivery, general director of Havanatur S.A., explained that the creation of different agencies with autonomy and a single objective, to expand in the commercialization of tourism as a basic line for the Cuban economy since its inception, made it necessary to create companies in the territory to guarantee all ground operations from abroad.

“This duality has turned Havanatur into a recognized and very prestigious brand due to its strength in being a sender-receiver. We are focused on recovering the participation quotas at the group level regarding the arrivals of visitors to the destination that represented more than 20 percent of the total number of tourists to the island,” he said.

Today the Group has eight territorial branches and more than 80 points of sale throughout the archipelago to provide assistance to its travelers and follow up each operation.

As part of its functions, Havanatur is also responsible for representing Tour Operators and Travel Agents in the country. It also organizes important events, such as Habanos and the University Congress. In parallel, he leads the organization of trips abroad. “Fifteen years of uninterrupted work have consolidated the Havanatur Viajes brand and customer loyalty as part of the actions aimed at establishing its position within the MICE segment and commercial arm of the tour operation.”

The portfolio of opportunities to visit Cuba includes fixed circuits, tailored programs, combined programs and a wide range of land excursions from all the country’s provinces. The agencies have designed their own circuit programs based on the interests of each market, Salazar Rivery said.

In 2023 “the Cuba specialist” launched its new campaign “Dare to Live it-Cuba awaits you.” The executive highlights that it has been “oriented on products and destinations in line with the new trends in global communication, under the country campaign developed by the Ministry of Tourism to show Cuba as unique. It is the first time that Havanatur has achieved a strategy of solid, group communication focused on digital platforms and mobile devices channeled at the impact of the message on different generational groups.”

With information from Prensa Latina and Havanatur