While the country announced positive results for 2014 (3 million visitors, +5.3% with respect to the previous year), figures from January 2015 confirm the good results of Cuban tourism.
The ONEI, National Bureau of Statistics and information of Cuba, continues to announce positive results. It reports just over 3 million visitors to the country in 2014, or 5.3% more tourists and excursionists than in 2013. In terms of revenues, the ONEI announced that tourist activities brought some 1.88 million dollars last year. These figures are nonetheless not representative of all the country's economic potential in terms of tourism since they do not take into account results from the private sector which represents around 10,000 rooms in Havana alone.
This year, positive growth appears to continue with over 370,000 visitors announced by ONEI in January, or an increase by 16% over the first month of 2014. It is nonetheless important to observe that close to half of foreign visitors to Cuba in January were Canadian (15% more than in January 2014). Other source countries that are up include several European countries: +37.8% for Germany 16,000 visitors, +32.2% for the United Kingdom with 14,500 travelers and +26.3% for France with 13,600 tourists. Russian clientele, weakened by the depreciation of the ruble, saw its contribution drop by 23%. The same happened to Argentinean tourists (-24%), who were affected by the country's situation with default on payment decreed last year. Finally, high volumes of Venezuelan clientele traveled to Cuba (+85%) despite the country sinking into economic, social and political crisis. The drop in the price of petrol certainly facilitated tourism exchanges between the two countries.
Cuban tourism should thus have fine years ahead, particularly with the improvement underway of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States .
This year, positive growth appears to continue with over 370,000 visitors announced by ONEI in January, or an increase by 16% over the first month of 2014. It is nonetheless important to observe that close to half of foreign visitors to Cuba in January were Canadian (15% more than in January 2014). Other source countries that are up include several European countries: +37.8% for Germany 16,000 visitors, +32.2% for the United Kingdom with 14,500 travelers and +26.3% for France with 13,600 tourists. Russian clientele, weakened by the depreciation of the ruble, saw its contribution drop by 23%. The same happened to Argentinean tourists (-24%), who were affected by the country's situation with default on payment decreed last year. Finally, high volumes of Venezuelan clientele traveled to Cuba (+85%) despite the country sinking into economic, social and political crisis. The drop in the price of petrol certainly facilitated tourism exchanges between the two countries.
Cuban tourism should thus have fine years ahead, particularly with the improvement underway of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States .
Also read:
- Cuba: at the dawn of a revolution, a look at a century of tourism
