Varadero receives 40% of tourists arriving in Cuba

The Cuban Ministry of Tourism is sticking to its goal of welcoming more than 2 million tourists this year, despite the health crisis and the sanction on commercial flights from Russia. Essential for this is the island’s most famous resort, Varadero, which currently receives 40% of the tourists who arrive on the island.

According to official figures, Varadero receives more than 40 percent of the international tourists who arrive in Cuba. They even state that the Matanzas government is currently “taking measures to improve digital connectivity there while maintenance and construction work continues in the area.”

Governor Mario Sabines pointed out that local authorities are working hard to make national and international tourists feel more comfortable in said tourist destination. “We are committed to increasing tourism flows. When the tourism industry grows, economic activity will be strengthened,” he told Cuban television.

While Ivis Fernández, tourism delegate in Matanzas, pointed out that since the start of the high season in mid-November, tourists have been arriving in Varadero as expected. Although he did not fail to recognize that the lack of Russian tourism was a serious blow to accommodation.

“We have seen an increase in tourist arrivals from Canada, our key source market. From Europe we receive visitors from Germany, England, Spain, Belgium, Poland and Italy, who know this destination very well,” he specified.

A Varadero resident, María Varona, 42, told an international agency that the arrival of more tourists always helps boost the local economy. “The more tourists visit the country, the better the economy will function. Tourists bring foreign currency with them. Everyone is happy when they are there.”

Currently, the 43 hotels in Varadero of well-known brands such as Meliá and Iberostar, with 17,000 rooms, are also preparing for the upcoming Cuba Tourism Fair, which will start next May.