The restrictions, plus a large reduction in flights to the island and a U.S. ban on most travel to Cuba under former President Donald Trump, have slowed tourism and left the island lagging behind rivals like the Dominican Republic. Puerto Rico, The Bahamas and Cancun.
But a fully vaccinated population will be a key selling point for a country that already has a good reputation for safety, fine sand beaches and turquoise waters.
“Cuba will be one of the safest destinations from the point of view of health and hygiene in the environment, we can reach figures similar to those of 2019 by the end of next year,” said Francisco Camps, deputy director general and representative of Meliá Cuba, to charge 32 hotels of the Spanish company on the Caribbean island.
The Cuban government claims the breakneck pace of vaccination is paying dividends, with Covid-19 cases and deaths falling by at least 80% from a peak in mid-summer. More than 90% of the population has received at least one of the three doses of indigenous vaccines.
The pandemic forced the closure of schools, entertainment venues and restaurants, cutting almost to zero the all-important tourism industry, travel by locals abroad and visits by Cubans outside the country.
Cuba received more than four million tourists in 2019 who contributed 10.6% to GDP, and more through supply chains and informal economic activity. This year only 200,000 visitors have arrived and another 100,000 are expected, according to Juan Carlos García Granda, Minister of Tourism.
Ricardo Torres, a Cuban economist, said those figures meant a “devastating” 92% drop in tourism this year, compared to 2019.
“We are talking about next year for any real recovery in tourism that generates a domino effect and therefore is decisive for the economic recovery”said Torres, who lectures as a visiting professor at the American University in Washington DC.
The US embargo drastically limits trade with Cuban territory, so the country relies heavily on the inflow of foreign exchange and even basic goods that travelers and the Cuban diaspora bring to the island.
And despite growing optimism as the country reopens to tourism, local officials have warned that the economic recovery will be more gradual than initially thought.
The Varadero resort, famous for its long stretch of white sand, is already partially open, even for the national market, where it is considered the favorite destination, while life in the colonial district of Old Havana is getting ready to receive visitors after 19 months.
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