Russian Tourist Arrivals to Cuba Up 30 Percent

Q & A with Cuban Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz

By Jose Carlos de Santiago

“We are experiencing a good moment in the reception of tourists from Russia, with an annual growth of 30 percent,” confirmed the Cuban Minister of Tourism, Manuel Marrero, in an exclusive interview with the Excelencias Group.

Last year, Cuba welcomed 137,800 tourists from Russia, “which meant a 30 percent increase in relation to 2017,” said Mr. Marrero during a conversation within the framework of the International Exhibition of Travel and Tourism Fair in Moscow (MITT 2019).

Therefore, Marrero said, “we made the decision to attend the Moscow Fair to thank the tour operators and airlines for all they have done to achieve this result.”

Asked about the differentiated work carried out by the two largest tour operators, Amex and Pegas, which move the largest number of travelers, in relation to others that send small groups, though with greater purchasing power, the Cuban minister explained the new strategies to meet their different demands.

There are tour operators, he said, that move large groups and meet the demand of a market that has raised the cost of living and, however, does not receive more income.

A significant number of Russian customers are asking for lower cost packages, even in many cases, 3-star hotels.

What is the response to this change in demand?

Given this situation, in the Ministry of Tourism we want these 3-star lodgings to function as if they were 4-star establishments and with an adequate price-quality ratio.

In the meetings with the main tour operators, a majority of them told me they are pleased with the Russians who travel to Cuba and that they have met their expectations. That is the most important matter to us.

Even with this answer, we are going to visit all the hotels that are receiving large groups of Russians to make sure they have the proper signs and menu written in the Russian language, that they have added some food that meet the Russian demands, because we want to build loyalty towards that clientele.

Could you mention some of these actions you have taken?

We are talking to all the tour operators, we have concluded co-marketing agreements with each and every one of them to conduct publicity actions.

Around 60 percent of all advertising is on the Internet and 40 percent in other media, prioritizing, among others, to television. This will allow us to rely on a nonstop publicity flow that sustains the trips to Cuba.

What is the underpinning of this new advertising campaign for the Russian market?

Our campaign hinges -and so it has been asked- on two main objectives: one aimed at all Russians who go to Cuba today in a bid to build their loyalty. The other one reaches out to new niches, Russians sunbathers that go to other countries and can know Cuba in a different way.

The purpose is to convince them that they have to go to know our Cuba, and for that reason we are also adding such elements as the 500th anniversary of Havana.