From November 12 to 17, Cuba's Minister of Tourism, Juan Carlos García Granda, undertook a working visit that took him to the cities of Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal.
In Toronto, García Granda participated in the Cuba Única Commercial Appreciation Night event, which brought together nearly 150 travel advisors and tourism sector suppliers. In his presentation, he addressed the challenges faced by Cuba as a destination in recent years. He expressed his conviction that 2025-2026 would be a good winter, with high expectations. Additionally, the minister presented the International Tourism Fair FITCuba 2026, which will be dedicated to Canada and will take place from May 6 to 10 next year on the Island.
As part of his agenda, García Granda held working meetings with Mohamed Firin, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Tourism; and with Rob Oliphant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Oliphant expressed his satisfaction with the meeting, which allowed him to discuss how to boost Canadian tourism and investment opportunities for Canada in the Cuban tourism sector. He further affirmed that Canada's relationship with Cuba is based on open dialogue, cooperation, and the promotion of trade and investment.
In Ottawa, Cuba's Minister of Tourism held an exchange with the Embassy staff, in which he provided details on the recovery process of the tourism sector in Cuba following Hurricane Melissa and conveyed his impressions of his visit to Toronto.
In the Canadian capital, García Granda held meetings with Diane Montambault, Vice-President of the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC); with Senator Boehm, Chair of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee; and with Glen Linder and Mark Richardson, Assistant Deputy Minister and Director General of the Canadian Foreign Ministry, respectively.
In Montreal, the final stop of his working visit to Canada, Cuba's Minister of Tourism participated in a Cuba Única event where he presented the potential of Cuba as a destination. Travel agents, airlines, hotel chains, and journalists were able to confirm the conditions on the Island that are driving the development of the Canadian tourism market.
As García Granda himself stated during a meeting with the staff of the Cuban Embassy in Canada, “his visit was very timely” and allowed him to convey a message of resilience, preparedness, and gratitude: “Our friendship with Canada has always been special. We are proud of our recovery, proud of our hospitality, and proud of our Canadian friends who continue to visit us year after year.”