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Published: Tuesday, 05 March 2019 08:06

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Photo: Foto: RHCHavana, March 5.- This was considered by the President of the Councils of State and Ministers Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez during the annual balance meeting of the Ministry of Tourism, where the work of 2018 was evaluated, a year classified as complex as a result of the effects of Hurricane Irma and the measures implemented by the government of the United States that further limited the trips of its citizens to Cuba, highlights the newspaper Granma.

Díaz-Canel highlighted the high responsibility of this sector in the development of the country, by becoming the second activity that generates more income to the economy. With that motivation they have to work daily to improve management. We believe that this will be a good year for tourism, but we must strive to be more efficient, he said.

He said that it is essential that public policies related to tourism activity -which cover both the state and non-state levels- are met equally in both. "Sometimes these policies are violated by clumsiness, lack of detail and preparation of paintings that have narrow visions."

The President pointed out that in the country the non-state sector has been recognized as a complement to the economy, therefore there must be an adequate working relationship. What we aspire as a nation in terms of values, quality of service, care for the environment, our culture and history must be present in all forms of management.

"We have to defend a single quality: the maximum possible, both for international and national tourists. We can not make a distinction between one and the other. We all have to attend to the best we can ... The Cuban people have to be given good attention, they deserve it, "he stressed.

He detailed the qualities that cannot be lacking in a manager of tourism: sensitivity, revolutionary restlessness and culture of detail. "Those who do not have these characteristics will not be able to take advantage of the opportunities and will always have a pessimistic thinking. These qualities give the possibility to create, to be proactive and to take advantage of all the attributes of the country ».

Díaz-Canel resumed his call to eliminate obstacles and bureaucracy, to propose solutions for everything that may be hindering the development of tourism, to "remove leaf litter from the road and move forward". He also spoke of fostering participatory environments, where you listen to the people who know best, the simplest workers and everyone who can contribute.

He also reiterated concepts and fundamental tools of the Government's work as the constant link with the base; the rendering of accounts as a constant exercise of overcoming; as well as the use of research carried to innovation, computerization and social communication.

He referred to the need to communicate better and exemplified with the immediate recovery of hotels damaged by Hurricane Irma, however continued to spread the matrix that the Caribbean was completely destroyed. We have to give more information, have a more fluid relationship with the press and design effective communication strategies.
He talked about work in social networks, which is where the young people are most and where they first find out about the facts. At the same time, he highlighted good practices to achieve a better positioning of the websites.

Díaz-Canel exchanged with the directors of the Mintur about the cruise tourism that grew by 46% in 2018 and imposes important challenges in terms of infrastructure, logistics, speed in terminal operations and a varied and attractive offer for visitors. New ideas are also needed in cultural programming, in the realization of events, in the link between tourism and academia and in extra-hotel activities.

We also need to promote health tourism, said the President, improve our pricing policy, seek innovative solutions for marketing and develop modalities such as hiking. "Cuba has lovely places to design wonders," he said.

He commented on doing more and better market studies and indicated to create a technological observatory to observe what is happening in the rest of the world in the field of tourism and propose solutions in this regard.

At the same time, he advocated to create and strengthen the productive linkages between the tourism sector and the other actors of the Cuban economy so that the so-called industry without chimneys will become the true locomotive that hale development, as defined by Fidel and Raúl the 90s. "Everyone has to be interrelated and contribute to the country," he concluded.

During the year 2018, and despite the difficult scenario that the country experienced due to inclement weather and the hostile US policy towards Cuba, the arrival of tourists to the Island continued its ascending path for 11 consecutive years.

This was stated in the annual balance report of the Ministry of Tourism, presented by the owner of the sector Manuel Marrero Cruz, where it was reported that Canada remains the first issuing market.

Meanwhile, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy are defined as the main European markets; and for Latin America, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Brazil stand out.

Marrero Cruz pointed out that Cuba has established itself as a competitive tourism product in the region, which is supported by the superior results of the indicators that evaluate destination satisfaction. However, he said, we must continue working on the quality-price ratio, the variety of food, the comfort of the rooms and especially the connection to the Internet through Wi-Fi technology.

During 2018, more than 3,600 new rooms were completed and emblematic hotels such as the Packard, the Varadero International in its first stage, the Second Front and the Iberostar Holguín were completed.

So far in 2019 has already received a million visitors and although it is expected to be a tense year, growth is estimated with respect to 2018. For this, Marrero Cruz said, should improve the marketing of tourist offers, continue raising quality, achieve greater efficiency in investments, export more services, accelerate the computerization of the sector and consolidate linkages with the national economy to reduce imports.

The debate addressed issues such as staff training, accounts receivable abroad, the necessary search for new markets and the consolidation of those already won, the coherent relationship with self-employed workers, as well as the rescue of foundational ideas of the Popular Campismo so that this is an offer of quality and good taste destined to the Cuban family. (RHC)