During a working visit to Spain, the Deputy Minister of Tourism of Cuba (MINTUR) Mr. Luis Miguel Díaz, met with the local press in the Madrid offices of Grupo Excelencias.
In this meeting, the deputy minister thanked the press for its quick response in such a short notice and for the opportunity to meet with the main tour operators, airlines and specialized press to give them an update of the situation of Cuban tourism, its state and recovery after the passing of Hurricane Irma.
“This morning we've met with six tour operators who have shown their confidence in Cuba. We have provided first -hand information that has been of their interest and we have agreed to work together towards a good Winter season in Cuba and to continue growing among international tourism," the deputy minister explained.
He further said: “Cuba, up to September, and in spite of the affectationsby the hurricane caused in the number of visitors has kept a steady increase of over 23,4 percent, which means 697 thousand more visitors than the previous year (2016), when the number was 535 thousand. Therefore, we continue to grow despite the difficulties stemming from this natural phenomenom. You've been updated on all the passing of the hurricane by the north of the country," he said. "In the eastern part of the country, life goes on as usual as well as the tourist resorts. The event of nature tourism, TURNAT 2017, has just concluded in Baracoa and Holguin. Nobody would have thought of hosting the event there if there were so many damages."
“Holguin suffered minor damages and they were fixed in a few days which allow tourism activity go back to normal. In the case of the north of Las Tunas, near Puerto Padre, the Covarrubias Hotel suffered minor damages that are already fixed," he continued.
Díaz also said: "Despite Irma being a hurricane of great intensity, tourism facilities didn't suffer structural damages. People imagined that the winds had a speed of over 300km/h and it blew off rooves, tore down walls and took down buildings. However; the damages that actually occured were the ones expected: when the wind breaks some window glasses, the window makes the false ceiling fall because the wind has to go out somewhere. Luckily, there were not structural damages that would take a long time to recover, and there was no damage in the technological systems either. Thank to the experts, preventive measures were taken, not only to protect the material resources and the facilities, but also to guarantee that no tourist nor employee suffered any kind of injury, and that was the most positive thing. Our country, our Government have always worry to preserve the human life and we abide to that."
“In the case of the Santa Lucia pole, in North Camagüey, four hotels from the Cubanacan Group with facilities outside the hotel and in the sea, suffered minor damages such as broken glasses, windows, false ceilings and covers, provoked by the fall of some tiles in some stretches, which were also rapidly recovered. This pole is already recovered, the four hotels are in operation as we speak and the tourist routine goes on as usual," the official added.
About the capital of Cuba, the Deputy Minister said: "The first measure was the early evacuation of 18 hotels located near Havana's North shore. Tourists were relocated in hotels of higher category than those were they were staying. In the following 72 hours, these hotels went back to operation and today there are only two hotels, Terral and Chateau Miramar that havent fully recovered yet. We are taking this opportunity to make these two hotels prettier and to carry on some improvement works originally scheduled for next year."
“In the case of Varadero, the Minister and several directives of Tourism have been working intensively and it was completely clean five or six days after the hurricane had passed. We gave priority to the city, to the historic center of Varadero, and simultaneously we started recovering the hotels and in a matter of a week time, facilities were back to the normal levels of operation. There are five hotels that are still closed because they suffered greater damages in their glasses and false ceiling, among others. Moreover, two of them, which were expecrted to undergo improvement works next year, we take this opportunity to make those works now, and also because their level of occupation allows us to do so and they will re-start their operations on November 15," he said.
“In the case of the keys Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo and Santa María they suffered the same damages, but also there are more hotel rooms there than in Varadero. The damages to the causeways, both in Cayo Coco and in Cayo Santamaría are solved now, Cayo Coco took 48 hours and Cayo Santamaría between five and six days. Brigades of workers from the keys and from mainland work uninterruptedly and managed to reestablish, in 48 hours, the causeway to Cayo Santa María”, explained the directive of MINTUR.
“Today, we have investors in every facility, with the necessary amount of construction workers and financial and material resources to tackle the recovery phase and its progress is being monitored by the Ministry on a daily basis," he said.
He also announced: "We confirm that on November 1st, the airport in Cayo Coco and a group of hotels will open. Between November 10 and 15, Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo will return to their normal activities. In the case of Cayo Santamaría, the hotels will start their recovery on October 15 and it will be back to normality of November 15. So all I say is that you can be confident and trust this market which has already sent over 130 thousand visitors this year up until September 30, with a 15,8 percent of growth, and wich has also contributed to the increase of the number of visitors to our country for which we would like to express our appreciation and our confidence it will continue to grow."
Diaz concluded by reaffirming that "tourism facilities that were affected in Cuba will be fully recovered by November 15 and, at the same time, we are improving tourism infrastructure and the logistics to guarantee a Winter high season with hotels fully recovered, with better services, better quality in which we can continue to develop a tourism of peace , health and safety."
Edition: ATF
(Fuente)
Translated by the Embassy of Cuba in the Netherlands