Tourist characteristic of

Cuba

Breslavets Sofia
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Cuba is located south of the Northern Tropic at the
intersection of the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and
the Caribbean. The island is located at the junction of three
parts of America - North, South and Central. It also includes
the adjacent islands and coral reefs from the Greater
Antilles.It is the largest island in the West Indies, and it
represents most of the territory of the Republic.

Cuba attracts tourists due to its pleasant climate, sandy

beaches, colonial architecture and unique history. One of
the factors that influenced the development of tourism in
Cuba was increased investment in the hotel business.
Tourism in Cuba attracts more than 2 million people annually and is one of the
main sources of income for the island nation. Currently, almost forty hotels are
under construction in Cuba, which will open 18,000 new rooms in the medium
term. This suggests that the authorities still consider tourism to be the basis of
economic development and are ready to invest heavily in this industry. The
majority of tourists visiting Cuba come from Canada and Europe. The main tourist
infrastructure is concentrated around Varadero, Cayo Coco, Holguin, as well as in
the capital - Havana. The Russian market is of great importance for Cuba. The
countries are linked by a long history of friendship and cooperation, and
economic and political ties are expanding and strengthening every day.
The Caribbean increased their performance in 2015 to + 7% from the previous
year, when the average growth was + 5%. The leaders were Cuba (+ 18%), Aruba
(+ 14%) and Barbados (+ 14%).
Statistics of foreign tourist arrivals to Cuba
 Cruise Tourist Arrivals and Calls to Port (2013-2018)

The number of cruise tourists form the United States has grown at a high rate: from
171,302 in 2017 to 341,005 in 2018. This demonstrates their interest in Cuba as a
destination.
Because tourism is a major source of foreign exchange earnings and growth, the
state must capture a share of its revenues to finance investment elsewhere.

At present, the state inefficiently captures these resources through the dual
currency and multiple exchange rate systems, which in effect tax exports and
subsidize imports; through the labor payment system that allows the labor
company and state to cream off an exorbitant wage tax; through state ownership
of the sector; and through direct taxation.

All but the last instrument involve self-defeating distortions. However, they
cannot readily be undone until more modern forms of taxation are put into
place.
Dynamics of tourist income and the number of hotel rooms in Cuba in 1949-2017
Cuba recorded a total of 4 m tourists in 2019,
ranking 76th in the world in absolute terms.

That smaller countries regularly perform lower

in a comparison of the absolute number of
guests, is obvious. By putting the tourist
numbers in relation to the population of Cuba,
the result is much more comparable picture:
With 0.38 tourists per resident, Cuba ranked
111st in the world. In Caribbean, it ranked 19th.

Cuba generated around 2.65 bn US Dollar in the

tourism sector alone. This corresponds to 2.6
percent of its the gross domestic product and
approximately 18 percent of all international
tourism receipts in Caribbean.
Safe tourism in Cuba
Improving the quality and variety of services is a cornerstone of government-supported
efforts. And this partly ensures the safety of the country, which leads to an increase in
the number of tourists, as visitors recognize and appreciate a safe environment for a
relaxing and interesting holiday.

People continue to come to Cuba attracted by its climate, environment, culture and
security.

All of the above helps answer the question of whether Cuba is a safe destination or not.
The authorities are doing a lot to develop tourism, as this is a rather serious source of
income for the Cuban budget. Plus, in conditions of certain contradictions with the
United States, the authorities need to raise the prestige of the country by attracting
foreigners from all over the world and proving that rest in Cuba is both pleasant and
useful, as well as safe.
Major emergency phone numbers

106 - Police
104 - Ambulance
105 - Fire department
On 10 December 2020, it was announced that
CUCs will start to be withdrawn from circulation from
1 January 2021, leaving the CUP as the only
currency in circulation, pegged at US$1 = 24
CUP.From that date, CUCs could only be exchanged
in banks or CADECAs, or used in certain
shops. This move technically devalued the peso,
compared to the "official" 1:1 rate used by Cuban
state-owned businesses.
List of holidays and non-business days
The working week is 40-44 hours, based on an 8-9 hour day and five-
day week. The right to training is stated, and to use two weeks of paid
annual leave to participate in daytime education of the workers own
choice. In the state sector, 30 days paid annual leave (plus 10 paid
public holidays) and guaranteed weekly rest days, remain rights. For
private employees a seven-day minimum paid leave, the international
labour rights standard, is established for the first time. Unpaid
compassionate leave is introduced.
In the past years, Cuba has modernized its electrical infrastructure.
Now there are 110 volts and 220 volts options available in every
household, casa particular and international hotels.

Many hotels and casa particular, not only in Havana and Varadero but
also in other parts of the country, offer nowadays multiple power
options for their guests who are coming to Cuba mainly from the USA,
Europe, UK, Japan or Australia. The power supply in Cuba is versatile,
ranging from the classic American 110-volt wall socket to 220-volt
European socket.
Import regulations:
1. Allowed for passengers of 18 years of age and
older:
a. 400 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 500 grams of
tobacco;
b. 3 bottles of alcoholic beverages;
c. up to 10 kg of medicines (incl. narcotics, drugs and
psychotropic substances for personal use)
accompanied by medical prescription.
2. Allowed for passengers of 10 years of age and Pets:
older: goods up to a value of Cuban Peso-CUP Cats and dogs: must be accompanied by an official
1,000.-. veterinary certificate, which must include the owner's
3. Allowed for all passengers: personal effects. details; animal details (species, sex, age, name, race
and color); details of rabies vaccination, specifying
type of vaccine, batch number and date of
immunization; details of any other vaccinations and/or
treatment for internal parasites. They must also be
clinically inspected prior to shipment proving that the
animal is disease free and has no external parasites or
wounds. No prior authorization is required.
The main route of communication with Cuba is by air. Cuba is connected by direct regular
flights with more than 40 cities of the world. The country has 17 airports, 11 of which are
international, serving more than 50 airlines from 28 countries. Guillermo of the Jardines
del Rey archipelago and Bahia de Naranjo of the Gaviota group in the province of
Holguin. All of them are located on the north coast of the island.

The length of roads is about 50 thousand kilometers, of which about 20 thousand are
motorways and highways that connect all the populated areas and tourist areas of the
country. Numerous companies have formula services for taxis and rental cars, vans, 4x4
jeeps and motorcycles. There is also a system of tourist buses provided for domestic
routes at recreational areas, and in addition, there are bus companies for inter-provincial
travel, special branches for rail travel and charter airlines for flights within the country
and services such as air taxi.
Over the past 25 years, tourism in Cuba has experienced accelerated
growth, which should continue in the next decade, more adapting this
growth to global trends; this accelerated growth could be even more
significant if the ban on the entry of US citizens into Cuba is lifted. The
development of tourist activity in Cuba during the period of the most acute
economic recession [1991-97] did not allow the crisis to become even
deeper and, as a consequence, the deterioration of the socio-economic
conditions of the country and its population, in particular, that in those
years it was in difficult living conditions. Tourism must play a real role in the
development of the country and in improving the quality of life of the
population in order for it to be sustainable.
Name of the country General characteristic Tourist resources for Сultural and Natural and Other types of
recreation and leasure educational tourism educational tourism tourism resources
resources resources

  Capital and largest Royalton Cayo UNESCO World National Parks in Festivals and
city-Havana, Santiago Santa Maria, Heritage Sites in Cuba: Cuba: carnivals in Cuba:
de Cuba is the main Royalton Hicacos -Old Havana and Its Alejandro de
Cuba administrative center, Fortification System Humboldt National
Santiago de Cuba
 Cuba has an Resort & Spa, is the largest, most
Royalton Hicacos -Trinidad and the Par,Turquino Nation
official area  of famous, and most
109,884 km2 , Cuba Resort & Spa, Hotel Valley de los Ingenios al Park,Desembarco
population is Playa Pesquero, -San Pedro de la Roca del traditional carnival
 11,326,616 people , Suite & Spa, Castle, Santiago de Granma National in all of Cuba.,
The largest river is the Paradisus Princesa Cuba Park,Cienaga de  Havana Jazz
Cauto River, Cuba is del Mar Resort & -Urban Historic Center Zapata,Guanahacabi Festival, he Ballet
located in the Spa, Melia Cayo of Cienfuegos bes Peninsula.
Caribbean Sea, Festival of Havana,
the Sierra Maestra, a Coco, Hotel Playa -Viñales Valley
Festival de la Trova
range of steep Costa Verde, -Archaeological
Iberostar Laguna Landscape of the First Longina, Havana
mountains, Cuba lies
west of the North Azul, Paradisus Coffee Plantations in International Book
Atlantic Ocean, east Varadero Resor, the South-East of Cuba Fair
of the Gulf of Mexico, -Historic Centre of
south of the Straits of Camagüey
Florida, northwest of
the Windward -Alejandro de
Passage, and Humboldt National
northeast of Park
the Yucatán Channel. -Desembarco del
Granma National Park