Steffen BoehnkeChief of Germany Tour Operator TUI in the Caribbean
In an exclusive interview with Caribbean News Digital, Mr. Boehnke spoke about the interests and development plans TUI has in the pipeline as far as the Cuban market is concerned.
By Oscar Jacas
CND: What are the prospects of the German travel market in Cuba?
SB: Cuba is well known in Germany for its unique culture, its famous cigars, its rum, music and show at the Tropicana Cabaret, the Caribbean ambience and its friendly and hospitable people. Cuba has to take front stage among the top travel destinations of Latin America and the Caribbean. There have to be some proper thinking to show the island nation´s unique cultural values, the ecology-oriented tourism and hotels, all that targeting specific groups of travelers. For Germans, beaches are not enough because their travel expectations ate requirements are constantly on the rise. Hotel offers must reach out to specific groups of guests (families, wellbeing-seeking travelers and individual trippers) in different categories and regions across Cuba.
CND: What´s your company doing to attract more tourists to Cuba?
SB: As Europe´s number-one tour operator, TUI is offering a variety of vacation trips in its catalogs, offers that embrace the entire Cuban territory. In addition to countless beach resorts in all categories, TUI offers roundtrip packages of 4 to 14 days each that include car rentals, guides and plane tickets for different kinds of tourists. Cuba is one of TUI´s top roundtrip picks all around the world. Another element in which TUI makes great emphasis is individual travel or customized programs that include long-haul trips, domestic flights, hotels from Viñales all the way to Baracoa, car rentals and tickets for the Tropicana Cabaret´s show. TUI is planning to enhance its outreach to other groups in the future.
CND: Do you relieve there´s enough airlift between Germany and Cuba?
SB: From out point of view, seat availability for flights between Germany and Cuba are good enough. The market is right now providing us with a proper number of seats. As we speak, we´re relying on Condor, LTU, Martinair, Edelweiss and Austrian Airways for our flights to Cuba. Other route combinations, like Germany-Havana-Holguin-Germany, are in great demand among Germans that want to make those combinations.
