At the end of last January, Cuba received 259,898 tourists, a figure that represents an increase of 104% compared to the same period in 2023. According to the EFE news agency, the figure is below (47%) that recorded in 2019, just before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI) reported on the topic. It turns out that the aforementioned figures mean a slight recovery in international tourism in the middle of the high season.
However, if this trend continues for the remainder of the year, around 3 million visitors would arrive by the end of 2023. Once once more, the plans drawn up by the tourism sector on the Island would not be fulfilled. The estimated plan is 3.2 million for the current year.
In January, the presence of Canada (127,172) stood out among the main sources of tourists to Cuba. Then Russia (22,272) and the Cuban community abroad (21,910) appear on the list. The interannual increases mark, in that order, 98.2%, 216.8% and 88.2%.
Increase in air connections
One of the tourism strategies in Cuba to attract more visitors is to promote the growth of air connections. However, the current situation on the Island differs greatly from other similar destinations in the Caribbean region. For example, Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) and Cancún (Mexico) have recorded historic maximums of visitors in these months following the crisis caused by the pandemic.
The Island received 2.4 million international visitors in 2023. This figure meant a growth of more than 800 thousand visitors compared to 2022 (1.6 million). However, the estimated goals were not achieved.
These days it emerged that the Blue Diamond Resorts company will open three new hotels in the province of Holguín. But that’s not all, its executives assure that they will maintain the destination with high hotel occupancy throughout the year.
#thousand #tourists #arrived #Cuba #January #forecasts #fulfilled