Winter-weary Russians Expected to Aid Cuba’s Ailing Tourism Sector
HAVANA (Reuters) – In a bid to revitalize its struggling tourism industry, Cuba is pinning its hopes on an influx of Russian tourists in 2024, according to the Cuban Ambassador in Moscow. Despite falling short of the government’s targets in 2023, with only 185,000 visitors from Russia, the goal is to increase this number to 250,000 people this year, as reported by Russia’s Interfax news agency. Such an increase would represent a significant 35% surge in Russian tourists, providing a much-needed boost to Cuba’s economy, which has been deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The strategic alliance between Russia and Cuba has further facilitated this tourism surge. Russia recently introduced the MIR credit card, which can be used by its citizens during their visits to Cuba’s cities and resorts. By streamlining transactions, this initiative aims to enhance the overall tourist experience. Importantly, Cuba heavily relies on the foreign currency generated through these visitors to import essential commodities such as food, fuel, and medicine, alleviating pressure on the nation’s economic crisis and addressing its widespread shortages.
While Cuban officials reported a total of 2.4 million tourists visiting the island in 2023, this fell significantly short of the 3.5 million visitors that were initially anticipated. According to the national statistics agency ONEI, the main sources of tourists to Cuba in 2023 were Canada with 936,436 visitors, Cubans residing in other countries with 358,481 visitors, followed by Russia with 184,819, the United States with 159,032, Spain with 89,285, and Germany with 69,475 visitors.