Cuba is in attendance at FITUR 2021 with a delegation led by the Minister of Tourism, Juan Carlos García Grande. It is the first global face-to-face tourism event to take place since the pandemic began. FITUR is organized by IFEMA Madrid.
FITUR starts today and runs until May 23. The focus is to reactivate the depressed tourism sector, in decline for more than a year because of COVID-19.
Over 5000 participants from 55 countries and 37 official representations are taking part, as well as visitors of 79 nationalities viewing on the new digital platform, FITUR LIVEConnect.
Prior to the opening day of FITUR, the Ibero-American Conference of Tourism Ministers and Entrepreneurs (CIMET) was held. Cuba presented its updated Portfolio of Business Opportunities for the sector to boost new projects between Cuba and Spain.
Tourism minister Garcia said the Island offers 76,000 hotel rooms managed by various national and international hotel chains, 75% of which are in the 4 and 5-star categories. He spoke of the new luxury hotels recently constructed or under construction in Havana, as well as the availability of over 25,000 rooms in the private sector.
He also spoke of current Spanish investment in 12 joint ventures with Cuba. Spain operates nine hotels of 4,300 rooms under joint venture agreements. Spanish managers administer some 30,400 hotel rooms in 62 contracts, which represents 63% of the total number of rooms operating in Cuba.
Currently, Cuban has over 11,600 hotel rooms under construction in its major tourism destinations.
The Portfolio of Opportunities for foreign investment has 120 tourism projects for hotel and non-hotel projects available for Spanish business.
The investment opportunities include programs aimed at the development of specialized activities, including hotel construction, water parks and theme parks, nautical projects, ecotourism, golf course real estate developments, health, wellness and quality of life projects, and infrastructure development for lodging, camping, recreation.
The Commercial Director of the Ministry of Tourism, Michel Bernal, Director of Communication, Dulce María Sánchez, owners of the country’s hotel chains, as well as representatives of the Viajes Cuba Business Group, and several together with travel agencies made up the Cuban delegation.
In 2018, Cuba won FITUR’s award for excellence in tourism safety.
All persons attending FITUR 2021, are required to register online and present a negative PCR test.
