North American visits are on the rise to the lovely island of Cuba. With the anticipation of relaxed barriers of trade and travel on travellers’ minds, this destination is becoming quite sought after.
Recently the US administrators have allowed visits by their nationals if they meet certain criteria to qualify for flying to Cuba: If they have close relatives in Cuba; if they wish to conduct business in the medical or agricultural sectors or; if they wish to travel for educational or religous purposes. Visitors can now fly from Tampa, Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, New Orleans, Chicago, Pittsburg, and Puerto Rico. This is in addition to airports that currently have flights leaving their terminals to Cuba – New York, Miami and Los Angelos.
Not to be left out, several ferry operators out of Tampa and Florida have filed for permission to offer services between America and Cuba. They say it is an awaiting niche market which can provide much needed jobs to their citizens as well as offer passengers many advantages such as cheaper fares and the ability to take much more luggage and goods on board for their families back in Cuba.
In 2010, Cuban tourism grew some 4 percent when 2.5 million people visited Cuba. Canadian visitors lead the way by leaps and bounds. Canadian airlines such as Air Canada, Westjet and Sunwing Air Lines fly from Canada to approximately ten Cuban tourist centres like the famous Varadero resort. By the end of the year, Canadian arrivals exceeded 900k, a slight increase from the previous year by that date and it is showing continuous growth in the last few years. Advertising in Canada is also on the upswing with radio, TV and signage being at an all-time high. The pull of Cuba is due to it’s still unspoilt heritage, rich culture and breathtaking resorts.
It seems that their is a slow transition from the once off limits Cuba. The country is moving towards being a top Caribbean destination once more.
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