Shanghai Elderly Tourists Prefer Cuba

Known as the “Pearl of the Caribbean,” Cuba is attracting more and more tourists from Shanghai.

According to the Labor Daily, over the past three years, the number of Shanghai tourists to Cuba has been growing on a yearly basis, most of them middle-aged and elderly people.

Tourism is now the most dynamic industry in Cuba. In 2017, the country received 4.7 million foreign tourists, a year-on-year increase of 16.5 percent.

With the increase of foreign investment in the tourism industry, the number of foreign tourists to Cuba this year is expected to hit a new high, reaching 5 million. Trying to spur this growth further, Cuba has launched a 30-year tourism revitalization plan to attract more tourists.

According to a source from Ctrip, a Chinese online travel agency, there are now over 100 tourist products related to Cuba on their website, including group tours, semi-independent tours and independent tours. Many travel agencies have launched trips to Cuba during the National Day holidays, between October 1 and 7.

Ctrip’s data shows that tourists who purchase tourism products to Cuba mainly come from Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Harbin, Ningbo and Tianjin.

In 2016, Beijing had the most tourists to Cuba, while starting from 2017, Shanghai surpassed Beijing to rank first. In terms of age, the number of registered middle-aged and elderly people in Shanghai is relatively higher, with people aged between 58 and 68 accounting for 38 percent.

Among those traveling to Cuba are people looking to retire there or for better medical treatment. Boasting world-leading medical technology, Cuba’s national medical level has always been at the forefront of the world, especially in the field of bone marrow transplantation, hepatitis B vaccination and lung cancer vaccination.

As a center of medical excellence in Latin America, it is a destination for patients and retirees from all over the globe. Former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Argentine football legend Diego Maradona and other Latin American political figures and celebrities have made their way to Cuba for medical treatment.

Source: English.Eastday.com (China)