HAVANA, April 5th Some Spanish hoteliers, such as those of the Meliá chain in Cuba, have been abandoning some of their businesses on the island in recent years, which is why Cuba seeks Chinese businessmen to manage hotels and occupy that space.
This is what the academic José Luis Perelló said in an interview with the Xinhua agency when he suggested that there have already been multiple agreements between both nations and that it would be “very healthy” for Cuban tourism if this step were to be finalized.
He added that there are several Chinese companies with interests of this type on the island. For the specialist, China has a tremendous tradition in hotel management, even globally. He also said that his companies would provide Cuban companies with the inputs and raw materials necessary for national tourism.
Cuba is currently receiving tourism directly from Russia and Germany, through the Azur Air, Nordwind or Condor airlines. Tourists from Canada could join next month, through Air Canada and Transat, where restrictions on travel to the Caribbean are lifted.
New charter operations announced to Cayo Coco this summer But they will not be the only ones, because with regard to China, the aforementioned specialist himself said that Chinese tourism could play a very important role in the recovery of the leisure sector on the island.
He said that China is already an emerging market in Cuban tourism, since year after year, the number of visitors from that country grows. The number of Chinese tourists who have arrived on the island has increased in recent years, which is very clear proof of the strengthening of bilateral ties between the two countries, added Perelló, who keeps statistics at the Cuban Ministry of Tourism.
For example, in two decades, from 1994 to 2014, the visit of Chinese tourists increased from 622 people to more than 28 thousand. In 2018, they reached more than 49 thousand visitors from China. They are still small numbers compared to Canadians, for example, but it stands out how the number is increasing.
Hotel Meliá Trinidad Playa: 98% of execution after starting in 2017 The arrival of Chinese tourists to the Caribbean nation has a sustained rise of 23%. According to the statesman, these data reflect that the authorities and businessmen of China have an interest in issues related to leisure activities on the island.
Before the current health situation, more than 45 thousand Chinese visitors had arrived in Cuba. China ranked 13th among the countries that send tourists to the island.