TORONTO — Last night the Cuba Tourist Board held its ‘Cuba Unica’ Trade Appreciation Night at Toronto’s Palais Royale event space, with some 250 guests in attendance for an evening of dinner and dancing.
Tour operators, hotel partners, travel advisors and media were on hand as the destination recognized those who have gone above and beyond promoting the island.
Cuba is ‘Unica’ and, as Nieves Ricardo of the Cuba Tourist Board put it, “Cuba prefers to be unique and be different and stand out from the crowd.”
Lessner Gomez, director of the Cuba Tourist Board, explained, “Canadians are drawn by Cuba’s laidback charm, the friendliness of its people and its pristine beaches.”
Gomez reported that total arrivals to Cuba, this year up until October, reached 1,973,083 tourists from around the world, while the total number of Canadians was 748,976, representing 38% of the total arrivals to the country.
The goal for the Canadian market to end the year is to get close to one million visitors, which will mean an increase of almost 200% year over year.
The air capacity for this winter season has seen growth of 12%, with more than 5,000 flights to Cuba from 21 Canadian getaways, flying to the most popular destinations. Of note, Sunwing has new flights to Manzanillo and Cienfuegos.
Flights from Montreal to Havana are available with Transat. Discussions are underway with Canada Jetlines and WestJet in hopes of filling the desire to establish a Toronto-Havana flight.
There’s a slew of recent hotel openings across Cuba. In Cayo Paredon, there’s Gran Aston Cayo Paredon Hotel and, also, Vila Gale which is managed by a Portuguese hotel chain that’s new to Cuba.
In Cayo Cruz, clients can find Marina Plaza and Spa Hotel, which is not an all-inclusive hotel, but is ideal for long stays.
In Cayo Santa Maria, the One Gallery hotel aims to promote Cuban arts and culture, plus it boasts a strong entertainment program and facilities. The property is located next to the main stage in Cayo Santa Maria where nightlife activities and several major festivals take place.
In Holguin, Sol Turquesa Beach Hotel saw major renovations and is under new management by Melia Hotels.
In Havana, the Sevilla Hotel, affiliated to Melia Hotels, was completely upgraded.
In Trinidad, the most recent opening is the Melia Peninsula Trinidad hotel, an all-inclusive hotel located at Ancon Beach, just 20 minutes from the city of Trinidad, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most charming colonial towns in Cuba.
Additionally, Blue Diamond Resorts has added a new property to their portfolio in the Jibacoa area called Starfish Jibacoa. There’s a plethora of new hotel offerings for clients to discover while they unwind on a classic Cuban getaway.
To learn more about this unique destination, visit GoCuba.ca.
