The worst omens for the tourism industry are coming true. With November data released this Tuesday by the National Statistics and Information Office (ONEI), 1,377,253 international visitors have been received so far this year, meaning it would need to receive 332,747 foreign tourists to reach its forecast for this year to fulfill.
The forecast number for 2022 was originally 2.5 million travellers, but authorities acknowledged the huge gap between desire and reality and warned that the year would eventually end at 1,710,000. The possibility of reaching that number is negligible, even though these last two months are high season on the island, although November, the best month of 2022, attracted 178,851 foreign tourists and the figure is unlikely to double this december.
November, the best month of 2022, attracted 178,851 foreign tourists and the number is unlikely to double this December
The numbers for this month reveal another almost unprecedented factor, as pointed out by Cuban economist Pedro Monreal, who regularly analyzes the numbers. “The Cuban community abroad provides one of the most interesting data in tourism statistics in Cuba for the period January to November 2022, representing just over a fifth of all visitors (21.5%), beating the record 16% in 2019 .” .
There were 296,533 Cubans living abroad who traveled to the island, a number that even exceeds the sum of the top five European emitters: Spain (75,116), Germany (52,496), England (42,583), France (39,597) and Italy ( 36,617). ). Additionally, along with Canada, they account for more than 52% of the tourism that the island receives, a trend that reinforces the notion that the Cuban exile is gradually becoming an economic migrant rather than a political one.
Canadians continue to top the list of nationalities with the largest presence in tourism statistics, although the decline continues. If 1,120,077 travelers from that country arrived in Cuba between January and November 2019, the number is now only 428,146. The Russians are also still in free fall and, with almost 47,760 visitors this November, confirm that the bull market that is just beginning is declining by leaps and bounds. Even in the disastrous 2021, 131,821 Russians came to the island.
The government highlights in its press release that the amount reached in November is 539.8% more than that of 2021, the worst year of the pandemic in Cuba. However, at the same time as 2019, the last year without restrictions due to Covid-19, Cuba had received almost 4 million tourists, 190% more. The data shows the island’s inability to recover, an anomaly on the international scene.
At the end of November, the World Tourism Organization was hopeful for the recovery data for the sector internationally, which stands at 63% of 2019 levels overall, although Europe is already clearly leading the improvement with 81% in September. Cuba, which finished with 4.2 million tourists in the pre-pandemic period, is unlikely to have recovered to 42% had it managed the feat of meeting the target set by Economy Minister Alejandro Gil.
If 1,120,077 travelers from that country arrived in Cuba between January and November 2019, the number is now only 428,146
It also confirms the sector’s steady decline for the island, which registered 4.7 million tourists in 2018.
Despite the disastrous data, the government continues to bet on tourism as a life-saving sector. He invests the largest amounts of money in it, like the 1,500 million spent on building hotels since 2020, and seeks the best investments for him. The portfolio of opportunities for 2023 includes at least three luxury tourism projects worth more than $3,000 million.
In addition, the Cuban food sector announces new products for sale in hotels almost every day, while the population fights for a bit of pork at Christmas.
Last November, at an industry event in London, Cuban Tourism Minister Juan Carlos García Granda predicted 3 million visitors by 2023, arguing that raising foreign exchange is essential to improving the lives of Cubans. “Tourism serves to reactivate thermoelectric plants, to buy more food, to provide raw materials to producers, to improve people’s well-being and quality of life in general,” he said.
________________________
Collaborate with our work:
The 14ymedio team is committed to serious journalism that reflects the reality of deep Cuba. Thank you for accompanying us on this long journey. We invite you to continue to support us, but this time by becoming a member of our newspaper. Together we can continue to transform journalism in Cuba.