Q & A with Estefania R. Escobar, Representative of Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism in Russia and Eastern Europe
Q & A with Estefania R. Escobar
Representative of Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism in Russia and Eastern Europe
By Jose Carlos de Santiago
Cuban travel authorities are looking forward to closing 2011 with a much larger uptick of visitors from Russian, compared to last year’s figures, thanks to Autentica Cuba (Authentic Cuba), a campaign that got underway in 2010 to promote sun-and-beach destinations, the keys and cities, history, sport and arts, let alone reflect the Caribbean nation’s lifestyle.
As many as 54,119 Russian tourists visited Cuban travel destinations through October 12, accounting for a 43.4 percent growth from the same period of time in 2010 (37,727) and up a staggering 101.05 percent from 2009 (26.918), as Mrs. Escobar explained during this exclusive interview with CND.
The increase of Russian tourists visiting Cuba has grown stronger during these years, particularly during the last one. What do you have in store for 2012?
Actually, we’ve seen substantially high increase rates. We closed 2009 with some 37,000 Russian tourists. In 2010, with 56,234, we exceeded the historical record of 40,163 in 2008. Nowadays, during the first ten months of 2011, we’ve received 54,119 Russian tourists in Cuba. This means that we should end up the year with better figures. We have worked to achieve it and we continue doing our best the best way we know how.
We are looking forward to more growth by opening another destination, beyond Havana and Varadero, the most sought-after sites by Russian tourists. It’s all about opening a nonstop flight to Cayo Coco, so Russian tourists can easily get there. It’s a different ballgame when you arrive in Havana, after a 13-hour flight, and have to catch another plane for Cayo Coco. Instead, passengers will now have a chance to fly nonstop to that destination. That’s what we’re trying to implement.
What is Cuba doing in terms of promotion?
Right now, we’re working on a campaign targeting the Russian market, including actions through the Internet, television and billboards or giant screens, trolley bus, etc. And we’re working on a more selective spreading of this promotion, directed at upscale business centers.
The flights are key elements. Have you cut deals with tour operators or airlines to add more flights?
We’re still holding talks on that issue. We’re looking forward to increasing the flights after November. But we’re not sure about us wanting just that number of flights.
There are other markets in the region receiving lots of Russian tourists and reporting rates of 17 to 27percent in hotels and destinations... These are official figures issued by some hotel groups. How about Cuba?
We don’t have the accurate figure, but I do know many Russian tourists who regularly travel to Cuba and they generally select the same hotels and places. I particularly know one guy who always travels to Havana and flies the following day to Cayo Largo; I’ve told him to visit other destinations, but he refuses and says that nothing compares to Cayo Largo.
Do you think the promotion of other destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean, such as Mexico and the Dominican Republic, as well as the opening of Panama, Jamaica, Bahamas, Barbados and others, will be good for everybody and won’t damage some destinations?
I believe it can be profitable for all of us. The point is that Russian tourists visit these destinations for a period of 10 to 12 days and when they combine two or three different destinations, they only get a glance of each one, but I do think that it is positive anyway. They can even enjoy a multi-destination offer during their first trip and handpick the one they like the most for a second visit.
