Cuba Stirs New Interest among Potential U.S. Travelers

By Jorge Coromina Sánchez

A recent report released by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) shows that Cuba dominates top searches for Caribbean travel for the first quarter of 2021 among potential Canadian and Spanish tourists.

In the same breath, on the list of the top five search-related Caribbean destinations, Cuba is second among British tourists, third among French sunbathers and fifth among American travelers.

It is significant that Cuba is the fifth most-searched Caribbean destination among American travelers since there are still strict restrictions on travel to the island imposed by the President Donald Trump administration.

But the proximity of the U.S. elections, scheduled for November 3, and perhaps assuming the possible arrival of Democratic candidate Joe Biden at the White House starting January 20, 2021, may have triggered the searches among U.S. citizens.

In an interview a few days ago to a local CBS-affiliate Miami TV station, former vice president Joe Biden said that if elected president on November 3, he would bring US-Cuba relations back to the status that President Barack Obama left them in January 2017.

Before Donald Trump became president, Cuba and the United States had made significant headway in restoring their bilateral relations, which led to a significant increase in American travel to the island, mostly owed to a staggering increase in airline and cruise company operations.

On the other hand, Cuba has successfully managed the outbreak of Covid 19 in its territory, with very low rates of infestation and deaths, which makes it one of the safest destinations for enjoying vacations in the midst of this raging pandemic.

The largest Caribbean island has only opened the keys to international tourism and is committed to a gradual and organized opening of all its destinations. According to the Cuban Ministry of Tourism, the popular beach of Varadero will reopen to foreign tourists on October 15.