International Tourism in Cuba: System, Impact, and Attractions Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the international tourism system in Cuba. It begins with an overview of Cuba's geographical location and its growing tourism sector, highlighting the increasing number of international visitors, particularly from Canada, the United States, and Europe. The report then categorizes the types of accommodations available in Cuba, including state-owned hotels, international hotel chains, casas particulares, and various budget options. It also explores the economic impact of tourism on Cuba's GDP, citing the significant revenue generated and the country's economic freedom score. Furthermore, the report lists the main tourist attractions in Cuba, such as Old Havana, Varadero beach, and Trinidad, providing insights into the diverse offerings that draw visitors to the island. References are included for further research and context.

Running head: INTERNATIONAL TOURISM SYSTEM
INTERNATIONAL TOURISM SYSTEM
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Identification of the Destination
The destination on which the details will
be gathered based on international tourism
is the Republic of Cuba. The country is
located in the northern part of Caribbean,
at the meeting point of Gulf of Mexico,
Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. It
consists of several islands. The largest city
as well as the capital of the country is
Havana, while other cities includes
Camaguey and Santiago de Cuba. The
island of Cuba is the largest island in Cuba
and in the Caribbean, and the second most
populated after Hispaniola, having more
than 11 million people in the island
country (Rettinger and Wójtowicz 2014).
Total Number of Visitors
Tourism was restricted initially to the
enclave resorts, where the foreign tourists
could be divided from the society of Cuba,
which is known as the enclave tourism.
The mode of conduct between the normal
people of the country and the international
tourists were found to be illegal between
the year of 1992 and 1997 (Hingtgen et al
2015). But there is a rapid growth in the
tourism of Cuba, which has helped the
economic as well as social growth. The
island country has tripled the market share
of tourism in Caribbean area in the last
decade. The his prompted to invest in the
infrastructure of the tourism department of
the country. This Caribbean island greeted
almost 5 million international visitors in
the year of 2018, mostly from the United
States of America, Canada and the
countries of Europe. The international
visitors mainly consist of the people from
Canada (Anfuso et al 2017).
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
3 3.1
4
4.7 4.8
Years
In Millions
Tourism has increased year after year in
this island country. The percentage has

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increased tom almost 48% in comparison
to the previous years. It can be expected
that the overall number of tourists would
increase to 5.1 million. The number of
domestic visitors is also increasing in
comparison the previous years. The
tourism in Cuba is one of the major
sources of revenue for the people of Cuba.
Characteristics of Accommodation
in Cuba
In the context of accommodations in the
country of Cuba, it can be categorized into
two types. They are hotel and casas
particulares, or the private houses. Hotels
are also categorized as two types: which
are owned and maintained by the Cuban-
owned chains, or the state-owned and run,
and those which are run by the
international chains. The five principal
Cuban owned hotel chains operates most
number of hotels in the cities and towns of
this island country. There are also a fair
number of beach resorts, mainly in
Varadero, which is a famous resort town in
the province of Matanzas. It is also one of
the largest resort areas in the Caribbean
area. It is one of the most famous
attraction for the international as well as
national tourists. It comprises of more than
20km of sandy beaches, which attracts
international tourists from all over the
world. Islazul operates most of the budget
hotels, but are poorly maintained and
serves mediocre food. On the other hand,
Cubanacan operates the mid-priced hotels
in this country. But some of these
properties are better than the expensive
chain of hotels. They are also responsible
for the renovation of the old as well as set
up of new hotel in the provinces of Cuba.
The portfolios of Gaviota and Gran Caribe
offers mainly upmarket hotels, and staying
in the prestigious buildings and at major
locations. Habaguanex hotels are present
only in the city of Havana are the reliable
and attractive properties, which are well-
maintained, and are present in the colonial
buildings in the old town which all are
beautifully restored. Apart from all these,
hostales are also there which are owned by

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the state, and are usually treated as the best
options in the provincial cities of Cuba.
And the cheapest option available to stay
in Cuba are the national-peso hotels, found
mainly in the less cosmopolitan towns and
away from the attractive tourist centers.
Campismos or camping are the excellent
options to stay in the countryside. All the
provinces of Cuba have at least one
Campismos present, which are usually set
near a river or in a small stretch of the
beaches of Cuba (Charles 2013).
Economic Impact on GDP
Tourism plays an integral part in the
economic impact on Gross Domestic
Product or the GDP of the country. The
capital city of Havana provides plenty of
resources to build the facilities related to
tourism.
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
8 8.7 9 9.6 9.7
Years
In Millions
By the end of 2012, a total of £2 billion
was brought by 3 million visitors in this
island country. The growth of tourism has
increased the overall economic scenario of
Cuba. The economic freedom score of this
island country is 27.8 in the 2019 index.
The current GDP of Cuba is $148.0 billion
(Torres 2016).
Main Attraction Types
The main tourist attractions of Cuba can be
listed below:
Old Havana or Habana Vieja (UNESCO
World Heritage Site), Varadero (most
famous beach destination), Trinidad
(UNESCO World Heritage Site),
Guardalavaca, Playa Paraiso, Cayo Largo
del Sur (One of the most beautiful beach),
Cayo Coco, Parque Nacional Vinales
(UNESCO World Heritage Site), Baracoa,
The Malecon, Havana, Che Guevara
Mausoleum, Santa Clara, Museo Nacional
de Bellas Artes, Castillo de San Pedro del
Morro, Santiago de Cuba, Peninsula de
Zapata (Ciénaga de Zapata), Parque

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Historico Militar, Havana, Plaza de la
Revolucion (Jose Marti Memorial),
Havana (González et al 2014).

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References
Anfuso, G., Williams, A.T., Martínez, G.C., Botero, C.M., Hernández, J.C. and Pranzini, E.,
2017. Evaluation of the scenic value of 100 beaches in Cuba: Implications for coastal tourism
management. Ocean & coastal management, 142, pp.173-185.
Charles, D., 2013. Sustainable tourism in the Caribbean: the role of the accommodations
sector. International Journal of Green Economics, 7(2), pp.148-161.
González, J.M., Salinas, E., Navarro, E., Artigues, A.A., Remond, R., Yrigoy, I., Echarri, M.
and Arias, Y., 2014. The city of Varadero (Cuba) and the urban construction of a tourist
enclave. Urban Affairs Review, 50(2), pp.206-243.
Hingtgen, N., Kline, C., Fernandes, L. and McGehee, N.G., 2015. Cuba in transition:
Tourism industry perceptions of entrepreneurial change. Tourism Management, 50, pp.184-
193.
Rettinger, R. and Wójtowicz, M., 2014. Regional differences in the development of tourism
in Cuba. Wydawnictwo Naukowe UP, pp.136-154.
Torres, R., 2016. Economic transformations in Cuba: a review. Third World Quarterly, 37(9),
pp.1683-1697.

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