Cuba: next North American hotspot
Cuba’s lack of development under communist rule has some of the country resembling the 1950s — just take a look at Cuba’s classic American cars lovingly kept up by its citizens — but increasingly observers are portraying it as the next tourist hotspot.
Of course, it never helps when the country’s former leader, 83-year-old Fidel Castro, blames the growth in swine flu on an increase in US visitors to the island.
Cuba is geographically close to the US — Havana is only as far from Miami as Boston is from New York City. And the country has beaches, mountains and a rich history.
But visitors may have to downplay expectations when it comes to prices, choices of entertainment and dining, and service in general — or the usual lack of it.
“The question is whether Cuba is ready for a huge jump in foreign visitors,” suggests the AP.
In 2008, tourism was Cuba’s second leading source of income after nickel exports. It’s a growing source of revenue that the communist regime wants to expand.
There are plans to open 30 new hotels across the island in the next five years. Despite the American ban, Europeans have been active investors and Canadians are among the country’s most popular visitors.
While Cuban officials say they’re not banking on Washington lifting the travel ban, hundreds of thousands of additional visitors from across the Florida Straits could pump much-needed cash into Cuba’s flagging economy.
Few would rate Cuba’s most famous place to stay, the 400-room Hotel Nacional in Havana, modeled after the Breakers in Palm Beach, Fl, as anything akin to the world’s best. A small percentage of Americans can be found here but there are estimates visitors would increase by 50 percent without the travel ban.
But service here and at other places can be spotty.
A communist country where most people earn no more than $20 a month is not necessarily conducive to the operations of a healthy hospitality industry.
Another hotel, the Melia Havana has seven restaurants because there are so few dining options outside of hotels that can meet foreign tourist standards. The Melia runs its own fleet of buses for its employees because the local bus system is so unreliable and at times, dangerous.
Jesus Noguera Ravelo, a tour guide, told the AP that Cuba’s infrastructure is not ready for a huge influx of American visitors. He noted there aren’t enough buses, rental cars, quality restaurants or hotel rooms.
By David Wilkening
David
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