Travel And Tourism in Cuba

Euromonitor International's Travel And Tourism in Cuba report offers a comprehensive guide to the market at a national level. It looks at travel accommodation, transportation, car rental, tourist attractions and retail travel. It identifies the leading companies and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market, including background information on disposable income, annual leave and holiday taking habits.

Buy online to access strategic market analysis and an interactive statistical database of market size data for travel accommodation, transportation, car rental, travel retail, tourism attractions and health and wellness tourism, tourism inflows and outflows, tourism spending and company and brand shares.

Why buy this report

• Get insight into trends in market performance
• Pinpoint growth sectors and identify factors driving change
• Identify market and brand leaders and understand the competitive environment

Product coverage

Car rental; Demand factors; Health & wellness tourism; Tourism flows domestic; Tourism flows inbound; Tourism flows outbound; Tourism receipts and expenditure; Tourist attractions; Transportation; Travel accommodation; Travel retail

Executive summary

Hurricanes hit one after the other

2008 was a bad year for hurricanes. Cuba suffered three hurricanes in 2008 - Gustav in August, Ike one week later, and Paloma in November. Fortunately, the key tourist areas in the country were largely spared. The government made sure that repairs were made to the hotels that were hit on the beachfront as quickly as possible even though more than US$9.3 billion worth of damage will take a long time to repair. Hotels and other tourist infrastructure were damaged mostly in the provinces of Camaguey and Holguin and in the tobacco-growing region of Pinar del Rio.

TURNAT and eco-tourism

TURNAT 2007 successfully brought together reputable international tour operators, travel retailers and experts in the tourism industry. The event was promoted by the Ministry of Tourism of Guantanamo, the Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment, and the Ministry of Agriculture. The aim of the event was to further develop eco-tourism, which is becoming increasingly popular in Cuba. In addition to those tourists looking for white sandy beaches and sites of historical interest, Cuba is now attracting tourists that wish to have direct contact with nature. TURNAT 2009 will take place at the National Park Cienaga de Zapata from 14-18 September.

Embargo continues to lose support

The number of US supporters of the embargo of Cuba is decreasing as Americans are now seeing more benefits than disadvantages to lifting the ban. In October 2008 the General Assembly of the United Nations approved almost unanimously a resolution to end the embargo. Of the 192 countries that are part of the UN, 185 voted against the embargo. This is the 17th year in a row in which the majority of members of the UN have expressed a view that the embargo should come to an end. President-elect Barack Obama promised that he would allow Americans to visit their family members in Cuba and would also allow remittances, but the economic embargo would remain in place until Cuba became a democratic nation.

All-inclusive packages

The world economic slowdown has forced tourists to seek cheaper travel experiences. While people have not stopped travelling completely, they are now looking to save money when doing so. Offering all-inclusive packages is one of the ways in which Cuban hotels have been attracting tourists, allowing them to budget in advance as to how much exactly they are going to spend on their trip.

Cuban resorts now available for locals

As a way to attract tourists during the low season, President Raul Castro has lifted a ban on Cubans staying at resort hotels in which previously only foreign visitors were allowed to stay. The Cuban authorities, however, have decided that Cubans who wish to stay in these resort hotels will have to pay the maximum rate. While paying a high rate will limit the number of locals who are actually able to benefit from local resorts, the change in policy does offer some potential to increase occupancy rates throughout the year.

Table of contents

TRAVEL AND TOURISM IN CUBA : MARKET INSIGHT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Hurricanes hit one after the other

TURNAT and eco-tourism

Embargo continues to lose support

All-inclusive packages

Cuban resorts now available for locals

KEY TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS

TURNAT 2007 set the stage for eco-tourism progress in 2008

Embargo continues to lose support

Three hurricanes

Fighting for a year-round high season

MARKET INDICATORS

Table 1 Length of Domestic Trips: 2003-2008

Table 2 Length of Outbound Departures: 2003-2008

MARKET DATA

Table 3 Balance of Tourism Payments: Value 2003-2008

Table 4 Departures by Destination: 2003-2008

Table 5 Departures by Method of Transport: 2003-2008

Table 6 Departures by Purpose of Visit: 2003-2008

Table 7 Outgoing Tourist Expenditure: Value 2003-2008

Table 8 Forecast Departures by Destination: 2008-2013

Table 9 Forecast Departures by Method of Transport: 2008-2013

Table 10 Forecast Departures by Purpose of Visit: 2008-2013

Table 11 Forecast Outgoing Tourism Expenditure: Value 2008-2013

Table 12 Domestic Trips by Purpose of Visit and by Method of Transport: 2003-2008

Table 13 Domestic Tourist Expenditure: Value: 2003-2008

Table 14 Forecast Domestic Trips by Purpose of Visit and by Method of Transport: 2008-2013

Table 15 Forecast Domestic Tourist Expenditure: Value: 2008-2013

Table 16 Tourist Attractions: Value 2003-2008

Table 17 Tourist Attractions Internet Sales: Internet Transaction Value 2003-2008

Table 18 Forecast Tourist Attractions: Value 2008-2013

Table 19 Forecast Tourist Attractions Internet Sales: Internet Transaction Value 2008-2013

Table 20 Health and Wellness Tourism Sales: Value 2003-2008

Table 21 Forecast Health and Wellness Sales: Value 2008-2013

DEFINITIONS

Tourism parameters

Travel accommodation

Transportation

Car rental

Travel retail

Tourist attractions

Health and wellness

Internet sales

Internet sales: dynamic packaging

Internet sales: traditional package holiday

Summary 1 Research Sources

INBOUND TOURISM FLOWS

Headlines

Trends

Prospects

Sector Data

Table 22 Arrivals by Country of Origin: 2003-2008

Table 23 Arrivals by Method of Transport: 2003-2008

Table 24 Arrivals by Purpose of Visit: 2003-2008

Table 25 Incoming Tourist Receipts: Value 2003-2008

Table 26 Forecast Arrivals by Country of Origin: 2008-2013

Table 27 Forecast Arrivals by Method of Transport: 2008-2013

Table 28 Forecast Arrivals by Purpose of Visit: 2008-2013

Table 29 Forecast Incoming Tourist Receipts: Value 2008-2013

TRAVEL ACCOMMODATION

Headlines

Trends

Prospects

Sector Data

Table 30 Travel Accommodation Sales by Sector: Value 2003-2008

Table 31 Travel Accommodation Outlets by Sector: Units 2003-2008

Table 32 Regional Hotel Parameters 2008

Table 33 Travel Accommodation Internet Sales: Internet Transaction Value 2003-2008

Table 34 Hotel Company Rankings 2005-2008

Table 35 Forecast Travel Accommodation Sales by Sector: Value 2008-2013

Table 36 Forecast Travel Accommodation Outlets by Sector: Units 2008-2013

TRANSPORTATION

Headlines

Trends

Prospects

Sector Data

Table 37 Transportation Sales by Sector: Value 2003-2008

Table 38 Transportation Internet Sales: Internet Transaction Value 2003-2008

Table 39 Air Company Rankings 2005-2008

Table 40 Forecast Transportation Sales by Sector: Value 2008-2013

Table 41 Forecast Transportation Internet Sales: Internet Transaction Value 2008-2013

CAR RENTAL

Headlines

Trends

Prospects

Sector Data

Table 42 Car Rental Sales: Value 2003-2008

Table 43 Car Rental Internet Sales: Internet Transaction Value 2003-2008

Table 44 Car Rental Company Rankings 2005-2008

Table 45 Forecast Car Rental Sales: Value 2008-2013

Table 46 Forecast Car Rental Internet Sales: Internet Transaction Value 2008-2013

TRAVEL RETAIL

Headlines

Trends

Prospects

Sector Data

Table 47 Travel Retail Outlets: Units 2003-2008

Table 48 Travel Retail Products Sales: Value 2003-2008

Table 49 Travel Retail Products Internet Sales: Internet Transaction Value 2003-2008

Table 50 Travel Retail Products Company Rankings 2005-2008

Table 51 Forecast Travel Retail Outlets: Units 2008-2013

Table 52 Forecast Travel Retail Products Sales: Value 2008-2013

Table 53 Forecast Travel Retail Products Internet Sales: Internet Transaction Value 2008-2013