The 41st Fit CUBA 2023 International Tourism Fair concluded in Havana with great success, since it allowed to widely show the potential of this sector in the country, as well as its beauties and natural resources and above all the heritage and hospitality of Cubans.
Speaking at the closing ceremony this Thursday, the Minister of Tourism (Mintur), Juan Carlos García Granda, also stressed that the event served as a stage to strengthen trade relations, establish new contacts, alliances, incentives and agreements that will contribute to the development sustainable of Cuban tourism.
It was also announced that the 42nd edition of Fit CUBA will take place next year in Jardines del Rey in the north-central region and will be dedicated to Latin America and the Caribbean.
With Havana as the main venue and cultural heritage as the focus of attention, the Fair filled wide expectations on Cuba’s travel industry, and the performance of both local and foreign companies working in the country.
Medium-term plans show the Ministry of Tourism (Mintur)’s willingness to recover the numbers of foreign visitors and promote new packages and programs to satisfy holidaymakers from all over the world.
In the previous FIT Cuba edition in 2019 (before the Covid-19 pandemic), the meeting was attended by a record of more than 7,500 tourism industry professionals from 53 countries.
Therefore, comparatively (it was held again face to face in Varadero beach in 2022), closed deals are expected to lead to the recovery of Cuba’s economy.
In Varadero last year, the fair brought together 6,000 participants from 54 countries, including representatives of 17 hotel chains, 38 airlines and 254 tour operators and travel agencies.
Amid an avalanche of news and meetings, the 41st International Tourism Fair of Cuba (FIT Cuba 2023) presented its most significant document, the Portfolio of Business Opportunities for foreign investment.
That text attracts the attention of the 5,000 professionals of the travel sector, more than 570 businessmen and representatives of 51 airlines.
It is a message of possibilities to invest in Cuba in tourism and, in this way, facilitate the recovery of this economic segment of vital importance for the island and its confrontation with the difficulties.
Such document points out that tourism is one of the most outstanding sectors of the Cuban economy and with the highest volume of foreign investment in operation in the country.
This is favored by the destination’s attributes that complement investments in tourism, such as hospitality, culture, safety, cultural and historical legacy, the document stresses.
It also publishes significant data such as the existence in this archipelago of 10 World Heritage Sites, 14 National Parks, and 227 national monuments, all of which are attractive for foreign investment.
The text reflects important attractions for foreign investment such as a maritime-port and air infrastructure for tourist operations consisting of 10 international airports, seven marinas of equal rank, and four cruise terminals.
To that end, they take advantage of prioritized areas, such as the south-central coast of Cienfuegos, Santa Lucia beach, in the eastern province of Camagüey; and the Covarrubias and Guardalavaca poles, in Holguín.
However, it clarifies that projects located in the historic center of Havana, the northern and southern keys of the island, and in Trinidad, which are reserved for domestic firms, are excluded from possible foreign investments in the modality of joint ventures.
Among the priorities, according to the Ministry, are the improvement in quality of the offer, create new and better products, generalize the use of new information technologies, promote diving and nautical tourism, cultural tourism, events and incentives, health, circuits and nature (in addition to promoting real estate development).
There are 24 joint ventures for tourism on the island, international economic association contracts, 110 hotel administrations and commercialization, a one service administration, and one common fund.
The event started on May 1st with the traditional ceremony of the cannon shot at nine o’clock, and it is the first to be held in person after the pandemic. On this occasion was held in Havana, Wonder City, and to promote the Heritage and Culture modality.
The Prime Minister of Cuba, Manuel Marrero Cruz, when speaking, stressed that FITCUBA 2023 joins a group of international events that will be taking place in Cuba which show that the country is open to the world.
He thanked the trust placed by all those who bet on Cuba, reaffirming that attention will continue to be given to the work carried out by tour operators and businessmen so that people who travel to the island enjoy its benefits.
He recalled that they have been difficult years, as Covid affected everyone, generating an international economic crisis, which together with the effects of the US blockade impacted the development of tourism activity in the country. He said that in spite of everything, the main investments did not stop, since they constitute an important element for the economic development of the largest of the Antilles.
Cuba has 290 national monuments, an important nature, 600 km of beach, together with a people that has been characterized by its joviality, all of which are potentialities to achieve tourism development.
This tourism festival, took place from May 1 to 5 in the Morro-Cabaña historical park, and some of 50 hotel chains, 570 tour operators, fifty foreign airlines, as well as specialists and personnel linked to the world of tourism, attended to the fair, which was also a propitious moment to know the benefits that Cuba exposes in tourism, and to learn about new tourism trends worldwide.
Business rounds, presentations of hotel companies, tours of tourist places of interest, and presentation of the portfolio of opportunities in business and foreign investment, were part of the FITCUBA 2023 program.
Cuba received in 2022 the figure of 1.6 million foreign visitors, and the projection for this 2023 is to culminate with 3.5 million, for which an important tourism recovery is required, very affected by international economic conditions.
Source: Periódico Digital Centroamericano y del Caribe
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