Cuba to reopen to tourism in November with more flights and no quarantine

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Cuba announced on Tuesday (19) the measures for the total reopening to tourism in November, such as eliminating mandatory quarantine and a drastic increase of international air connections, after Covid-19 reduced to a minimum the arrival of visitors in the last year and a half.

The Minister of Tourism, Juan Carlos García, did not offer updated data on the losses in these almost two years of the pandemic, but assured that “any small decrease in tourist activity has a great effect for a country like Cuba.”

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“We hope to reverse the situation created by the restrictions of the pandemic,” Garcia said during a press conference to report on the preparation of this area before the reopening of the borders on November 15.

94% DROP THROUGH MAY

Before the pandemic, tourism represented the second official source of foreign currency income – only after selling professional services abroad – and contributed around 10 % of the Gross Domestic Product.

According to official data, the Caribbean country aimed to receive around 4.5 million international visitors in 2020 and reverse the 9.3% drop of 2019, when 4.2 million tourists traveled to the government, 436,352 fewer than in 2018.

However, from January 2021 to May, it received 225,417 foreign tourists and travelers, almost two million less than at the same stage in 2020 and a decrease of 94%, according to the National Bureau of Statistics and Information (Onei). Most were Russians, followed by Cubans living abroad, Germans, Spaniards, and Canadians.

The island’s hotels currently have some 70,000 rooms, 63% of them located in four and five-star facilities, and by 2030 official plans include the construction of more than 103,000 rooms and luxury hotels in the country’s main cities.

Most tourist facilities are operated under joint ventures between Cuban state-owned companies and foreign companies, including Spain’s Iberostar and Meliá.

NEW PROTOCOLS

According to official estimates, the “controlled” reopening of tourist services responds to the progress of mass vaccination in Cuba, which should reach more than 90% of the population in November.

The Caribbean country suspended commercial and charter flights in April 2020 to curb the spread of the coronavirus. In October of that year reopened airports, but with a minimal reduction of flights from the U.S., Mexico, Panama, Bahamas, Haiti, Dominican Republic, and Colombia.

As of November 7, incoming travelers will not have to undergo a mandatory quarantine or present a negative PCR. However, they will have to prove they have received one of the world-recognized vaccines against Covid-19, said the Tourism Minister today.

García mentioned that children under 12 years of age are not required to show any PCR or vaccination scheme upon arrival to the country. Still, he added that epidemiological surveillance and the mandatory use of masks would be maintained in the air terminals and the rest of the country.

In the case of resident Cubans, they should report to their nearest health center within 48 hours of their arrival, and within a week, they will be tested for antigens, informed García.

Likewise, the owners of private rental houses must inform the authorities if their guests show respiratory disease symptoms.

PAYMENT METHODS

Banks and exchange houses do not sell foreign currency to the population in Cuba due to the lack of liquidity. At the same time, the dollar and the euro have shot up in the informal market, reaching almost three times the official rate.

To this is added the suspension since June 21 of cash dollar deposits, according to the government, due to the substantial restrictions of the U.S. embargo for Cuba to enter those banknotes in international banks.

In this regard, García explained that tourists could acquire prepaid cards in freely convertible currency (foreign currency) with a value of 20, 200, 500, and 1,000 MLC, valid for two years, which can be operated by any person.

These will be purchased in any currency in cash or with a bank card, said the Cuban official, without specifying the cost of the cards.

However, financial operations by transfer and deposits of other currencies accepted in Cuba such as the Canadian dollar, euro, Swiss francs, pound sterling, Japanese yen, and Mexican peso will continue.