To those who are very familiar with Cuba and their tourism industry it sounds as though my last post on the Bill to Change Travel Restrictions has hit a nerve with them.
I received an email today which I'm going to quote bits and pieces of here - it will shed some light on the state of the current Cuban tourism industry and brought to light some things that I was never aware of prior to this.
Melia, Club Med, Barlovento, Iberostar are a few of the international hotels that are "well" establish in Habana, Veradero, Cayo Coko, Cayo Esmeralda and other locations in Cuba. There is a Benneton in old Havana. And cruise ships that do not conflict with the US embargo/blockeo visit Habana all the time.The Melia Cohiba in Vedado (a Habana neighborhood) is a 5 star hotel and does not need the imput of young men to improve its infrastructure. It rivals any Ritz Carlton anywhere. And before you say the ol' "but Cubans can't stay there," remind yourself that most US citizens can only dream of staying at the Ritz. After all, it is all about money! And the hotel apartheid that kept Cubans out of many hotels no longer exists, if they can pay, they can stay.The streets are filled with tourists including many from the states. The Embargo/blockeo has not stopped folks from the states from flying to Cancun, walking across the airport and getting on AeroMexico and going to Havana for a visit. While this is illegal, it is very easy. Cuba does not stamp your passport.No matter what though - the Cuban tourism/travel industry will have much to gain when travel restrictions and the trade embargo are lifted with America.
Andrew Calvo is a 26 year old Commercial Real Estate Advisor in New Jersey. I live in Tinton Falls, NJ. This blog is about my passions - primarily hotels, commercial real estate, and development, etc.
Since I have been in High School Ifve had numerous jobs, but the field which has always interested me is Real Estate, Hotel Development and Construction. I consider myself a zealot in that area - I try to absorb as much as I possibly can, take the experiences that I learn, or read about and use them in my life.
www.passionsofazealot.com/2009/02/13/more-on-cuba-and-the-current-state-of-its-travel-industry