With the arrival of about 430,000 U.S. tourists to Cuba up to late September, the total number of U.S. visitors from the neighboring country has been reduced by 20%, a considerable decline of tourism to Cuba in comparison to 2017, which has been noticed by the Cuban leisure industry, and especially by private entrepreneurs.
According to specialists, the fewer arrivals could be explained by the restrictions imposed by Donald Trump since he took office in the White House, which evidences –in their opinion– that despite the considerable limitations and obstacles, the interest in “the forbidden island” is still strong among Americans tourists.
Additionally, a proof of this is that although individual trips have been cut to the limit, the plans of the major cruise companies, which include new ports on the island, have continued to grow significantly; while authorities remain optimistic about this market, predicting that sooner or later the panorama must change for the better.
Therefore, investment programs in tourism to Cuba have not been pulled, and Cuban and foreign companies foresee growth in their hotel facilities in 2018 and the following years, as they do not lose sight of the fact that, under normal conditions, the number of U.S. tourists could annually reach between 2 and 5 million, according to the International Monetary Fund.