By the year 2025, 2,600,000 foreign visitor arrivals are forecast, which represents an 18% increase over the estimate for the calendar year that has just ended.
This was informed by Juan Carlos García Granda, Minister of Tourism, during the first day of meetings of the Parliament's permanent work commissions, and added that, since the beginning of 2024, there has been a downward trend in the security perception index of the destination, and the negative impact of this (visa exemption request) in the decision of European and Chilean visitors is maintained.
He emphasized the need to perfect a closed financing scheme and guarantee compliance with standards throughout the country's tourism system.
"This," he said, "is essential for the recovery of the sector. We must present a decent tourism product, which stimulates demand."
The country's main destination continues to be Matanzas, followed by Havana, the keys of Villa Clara and Ciego de Avila, and Holguin.
The Minister assured that, in the second half of the year, no new works have been invested in, but work is being carried out on those that were already underway.
He argued that 2024 has been a hard year for tourism, due to labor fluctuations, the effects on the provision of services, the lack of insurance and supplies, the migratory phenomenon in tourist operations, as well as the media campaigns against the sector in the country.
Likewise, the high prices of turbo-fuels have had an impact on these results.
However, as a positive aspect, electronic commerce in the sector is consolidated and progress continues to be made to complete the use of all electronic payment channels, "under the principle that the banking process is a fundamental premise for providing a quality service," he added.
According to the report presented, in order to materialize foreign investment projects and boost tourism, the Strategy for the Export of Health, Wellness and Quality of Life Tourism Services was concluded, in which Cayó Bienestar and Elegua are negotiating with foreign and personalized medicine companies.
"It was approved that Vima and Meliá have importing companies and perform wholesale trade, so they will supply direct to tourist facilities," he said.
