The Minister of Tourism of Cuba, Manuel Marrero Cruz, and the Spanish Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, during the ribbon cut of FITCuba 2019.
In May 2019, the government of Cuba and the Ministry of Tourism organized FITCuba 2019, the island’s 39thInternational Tourism Fair. A large number of national and international tourism professionals and journalists attended the event, which was aimed at showcasing Cuba’s vast touristic potential.
Over 7,500 professionals from the tourism sector, coming from more than 53 countries, and including directors of hotel chains, airlines, wholesales, and travel agencies working with Cuba; over 250 journalists, of which almost 200 coming from abroad; local and international high-rank government officials, including the Minister of Tourism of Cuba, Manuel Marrero Cruz, and the Spanish Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, Venezuela Stella Lugo and the Minister of Tourism of Nicaragua, Anasha Campbell. These were the attendees of FITCuba 2019, the 39thedition of Cuba’s International Tourism Fair, held in the Caribbean island in May 2019 and organized in close cooperation with Spain, the most important foreign investor in the country.
The Fair started with an introductory ceremony and the ribbon cut at the colonial fortress complex of San Carlos de la Cabaña. The hundreds of guests attending the ceremony were then able to visit stands by the international partners of the Cuban tourist sector, as well as to attend conferences and ateliers. The program also featured large parties organized by famous Cuban hotel chains, such as Gaviota group, Iberostars and Melia hotels.
FITCuba 2019 was also an occasion to showcase the reconstruction project led by the historical office of La Habana and the celebre Dr. Eusebio Leal Spengler the historian of the city, which has now been extended to other cities in the country. This project entails the reconstruction of the enormous colonial heritage present in Cuba, notably aiming at creating new service-oriented building such as schools, social houses, hotels, restaurants, and stores.
The Fair was an important occasion to explore Cuba’s potential to attract tourists from all over the world. The large number of tourists that was expected to come from the United States in 2019 is currently decreasing, notably due to the new sanctions imposed by the US administration. As a result, Cuban tourism authorities will rely on both its traditional partners, such as the European and Canadian tourism markets, as well as on non-traditional partners, such as China and Russia. In particular, Russia will be the focus country for next year’s FITCuba 2020, which will be held in Varadero.
