Friendly Planet Drops Prices for Cuba Travel Tours

Friendly Planet has announced price cuts on its six-packaged people-to-people tours to Cuba, wrangling significant reductions of up to $1,000 per person, depending on the length of the tour.

This move comes on the heels of InsightCuba's rate cuts on its people-to-people programs, which were announced last month.

Insight's president, Tom Popper, attributed his company's price drop to a decrease in prices issued from state-run agencies and hotels in Cuba. Those rates had risen sharply following the U.S.'s easing of travel sanctions in December 2014.

Peggy Goldman, founder and president of Friendly Planet, concurred, saying that the earlier price increases by Cuba "were simply unsustainable. Major hotels in Cuba, which had increased rates last summer for the current winter season, experienced cancellations this winter."

Goldman, along with other major tour companies engaged in operating large programs to Cuba, traveled to the island last year to speak to suppliers about the increases.

"The suppliers did not believe us [when told the rates were too high]. The result was a lot of empty rooms this winter during a period that is normally sold out. The hotels began dropping their rates," she said.

"The price reductions are intended to be incentives to lure reluctant travelers back to the demand seen in recent years," Goldman said.

Friendly Planet's price reductions are in effect through October, "although we expect them to continue through the end of the year."

Goldman cautioned that since there is involvement by the Cuban government in determining tariffs, "we actually can't tell how long the discounts will continue. If the Ministry of Tourism decides to increase rates again, it may mean another round of price hikes."

Her advice to travelers interested in visiting Cuba: do it now while the prices are reduced.

In addition to its packaged tours, Friendly Planet operates a number of escorted FITs for individuals and small groups of up to seven or eight people.

"We don't operate independent tours, but we hope to offer this service by the end of the year," Goldman said.

Friendly Planet also may launch a program later this year that will span the entire island from Havana eastward to Santiago de Cuba.

Source: Travel Weekly