Eduardo Acosta de Arriba. President of Cuba’s tourism company Islazul
<b> Q- What major challenges are in store for Islazul in 2004? </b>
A- This is a very significant year because we’ll celebrate our tenth anniversary, so we want to outnumber the results we achieved in 2003, that, as a matter of fact, were pretty good. We’re hosting the ballplayers of the Cuban National League and we’re going to welcome all athletes scheduled to take part in the Second National Olympiad, as well as attendants to the University for All Congress and the International Book Fair, an event that’ll take place all around the country.
<b> Q- How did tourist reception fare? </b>
A- We catered to over 20 million national tourists/days for a solid 7 percent increase, plus 263,000 foreigners/days for an even better 11.8 percent spike from 2002. All economic indicators were surpassed, both in national currency and hard currency. We cut costs way under the planned figures, and that gave us the edge in reaping higher earnings.
<b> Q- What are Islazul’s objectives? </b>
A- Our social goal is to respond to national tourism and, to a lesser degree, to international travelers in order to capture hard currency later on used in providing better services and building new lodgings. Islazul’s top customers are outstanding workers who post good results in the course of a working year, both in the manufacture and service fields. They absolutely bear the brunt of our company’s outcomes, so to speak.
<b> Q- How many establishments do you count on? </b>
A- We own 82 hotels with as many as 6,500 rooms in beach, urban and nature circuits. We also have over 150 extra-hotel facilities, including restaurants, cafeterias, recreational centers and nightclubs.
<b> Q- What travel circuits do you operate in? </b>
A- Our company reaches out to the fourteen provinces and the Isle of Youth Special Municipality, though the level of development varies in each and every place. In terms of economic revenues, our major circuits are Eastern Havana Beaches, Varadero, Holguin and Sancti Spiritus. We can also include in this group the Western Havana area and Camaguey. This doesn’t mean, of course, that we’ve got lower figures in the rest of the country. The point is that facilities there are smaller or we simply have fewer lodgings in those territories.
<b> Q- Any investment plans in the offing? </b>
A- The further improvement of our facilities has been a key goal for the last ten years. Our outlay allows us to pour earnings into the development of the company’s hotels and extra-hotel facilities in a self-sufficient way. Our rooms are now ready to receive national and foreign travelers in the same breath because they’re equipped with all the comfort and top-of-the-line conveniences required for international tourism.
<b> Q- Do you have any partnership plans with foreign groups or chains in mind? </b>
A- No, we don’t. Right now, we’re focused on adding as many rooms as possible for national tourists, and setting aside 15 percent for foreign sunbathers. And they’re going to rub elbows with Cuban vacationers in the same hotels. As to management and marketing, both things are going to remain firmly in our hands. However, we’ve joined hands with other Cuban companies, like Cubatur, Cubanacan and Havanatur, in partnerships for the sake of international tourism.
