The promise of Cuba for US travel agents
1.) Cuba is a
well-established destination for Europeans and Canadians selecting a safe and
enjoyable Caribbean holiday.
·
Between 1990 and 2001
the annual number of visitors to Cuba increased from 340,000 to 1.8 million.
This year two million are expected. Over 50% are from Europe.
·
Canada is the largest
source of tourists. The number grew
almost 15 percent a year for five years with Cuba becoming in 2001 Canadians’
most popular Caribbean destination.
·
Cuba is served by 21 international airlines. Eleven European cruise ship operators visit its
harbors, including the cruise ship Mistral of the Festival Company (capacity of
1600 berths).
·
Today, there are over 40,000 hotel rooms available in Cuba,
37,000 ranked four or five-star and managed by internationally recognized
companies like Sol Meliá, Iberostar, Gran Caribe and Cubanacán. Cuba's master
plan calls for 150,000 rooms. Accommodations range from all-inclusive luxury
resorts to home stays in licensed Casas Particulares (bed-and-breakfast in
private homes).
2.) Cuba offers
visitors unique opportunities to explore sophisticated historical, cultural,
educational, sporting and medical interests:
·
Havana, the largest city in the Caribbean, is Cuba’s
political, cultural, and economic hub. Millions of dollars have been invested
in scientific restoration since La Habana Vieja was declared a UNESCO World
Heritage Site in 1982.
·
Every city and major town offers special and intriguing
attractions, including historical monuments, centers for the arts, museums, and
some of the oldest colonial churches and residences.
·
Cuba is world renowned for its Latin dance and music: son,
salsa, rumba, jazz; as well as for classical ballet, modern dance, and
symphony.
·
Cuba’s advanced health care system is available to visitors
at a reasonable cost. Medical
statistics are similar to those of industrialized nations.
3.) Cuba has
tremendous potential for the US travel industry as a nearby, multi-dimensional
destination:
·
“US travel
sanctions on Cuba have not stopped readers of the upscale US magazine Travel and Leisure from picking Cuba as
their favorite island in the Caribbean, Bermuda and Bahamas, in the July 29
World's Best Awards Readers' Survey issue.” (AFP 7/28/03)
·
The US is already
the second largest source of visitors to Cuba. Last year despite complex procedures.
200,000 Americans traveled to Cuba legally; 110,000 of them
Cuban-American. As many as 60,000 more were
so motivated that they risked traveling without a license from the US
government. .
·
Cuba can become the
number-one destination for Americans in the Caribbean. The American
Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) estimates that Cuba could attract 1 million
U.S. visits within the first year. A study by The Brattle Group estimates a
potential market of 2.8 million Americans annually. Other experts predict growth to 5 million visits per year.
·
Niche travel opportunities for individuals and groups abound
such as education, culture, architecture, bicycling, ecotourism, religion,
business, marine sports, and leisure.
4.) At least
two-thirds of American citizens, 60% of Congress, and a majority of
Cuban-Americans are in favor of ending travel restrictions. The only obstacle
that stands in the way is the minority of Cuban-Americans who are pro-restriction
and their allies in the Congressional leadership.
5.) As
independent owners of small businesses, travel agents are well-respected within
their communities. The local economic benefit of being able to book travel to
Cuba deserves serious consideration by their elected Representatives and
Senators in Washington.
The full version of these points can be found at http://www.ffrd.org/cuba/ahc/travelagents.html
To join
travel professionals and their clients on a petition calling for freedom to
travel to Cuba, visit http://www.petitiononline.com/cubanow1/petition.html
Prepared for the
Ad Hoc Coalition of Travel Professionals
and Clients for Freedom to Travel to Cuba
by the Fund for Reconciliation and
Development cubanow@ffrd.org