Russian tourists invade Varadero: they are the second most arriving at the Cuban resort!

Varadero, Cuba.

Behind Canadian tourists, Russian visitors are, so far in 2023, the ones that occupy the most hotels in the Cuban resort of Varadero, in the west of the island. After the reactivation of direct flights from Moscow, three full planes have already arrived, with more than 300 passengers on each arrival.

“We celebrate the arrival today of the third frequency of Rossiva airline flight FV 6927 that landed at the Juan Gualberto Gómez airport, bringing with it 351 passengers. We give you a warm welcome!”, they said yesterday, September 6, from the Twitter of the island’s Ministry of Tourism.

While the press also celebrates the numbers of Russians in the resort, because this is part of a “growth” in Cuba’s main “sun and beach” destination, in the midst of an anguishing crisis in the tourism sector. While the Dominican Republic, the neighboring island, has accumulated more than 7 million tourists so far this year, Cuba timidly exceeds one million.

Until now, Canada remains the main issuer of tourists to Varadero, with regular entries with companies such as Air Canada, Sunwing and Air Transat. But the Russians warn of its growth and are currently in second place among the emitters of visitors to this pole. Rossiya and Nordwind flights enter here, both flights from the Moscow capital.

At the beginning of August of this year, a report from the well-known Sputnik magazine spoke of Russia wanting to become the main country that sends tourists to the island. For this, they strengthened businesses in the sector such as the use of the magnetic cards of the Russian MIR system in hotels and stores in the country, in addition to promoting the creation of hotels intended only for Russians