Cuba Proposes Socio-Cultural, Humanist Tourism at FITCuba 2014

In an effort to create fraternity bridges that communicate the Cuban society with the rest of the world, Amistur Cuba S.A. Travel Agency, managed by the Cuban Institute of Friendship with other People (ICAP is the Spanish acronym), is fostering a socio-cultural project that suggests to turn tourism visits to Cuba into experiences marked by human exchange, shared histories and the creation of emotional ties.

In the context of the 34th International Tourism Show, 2014 FITCuba, which is being held in Havana, Amistur’s general manager, Jorge Adolfo Abigantud, explained during a presentation that the entity deals with specialized tourism, with products and services that guarantee visitors to enjoy and get to know Cuban reality through the direct contact with the people.

Following the trends that currently prevail in this niche, the executive proposes to humanize the trips by discovering typical and interesting places, by means of the socialization and dialogue with the people that live in those places.    

Three circuits have been designed to do so: Inside Cuba (Cuba por dentro), Following the Track of History (Tras las huellas de la historia) and Following the Path of Victory (Por los senderos de la victoria), thus favoring a closer look at different spheres of Cuban daily life, which sometimes go unnoticed during traditional tours.

Inside Cuba invites to know the transformations that are being presently carried out on the Cuban economic model, with the possibility to reach out to people that are working in private businesses – or they are “self-employed” –, and cooperatives.

Following the Track of History is focused on historical and patrimonial sites and includes such provinces as Pinar del Rio, Matanzas, Villa Clara and Santi Spiritus.

And Following the Path of Victory reconstructs the path of the Cuban Revolution, with a tour throughout the country, from Havana to Santiago de Cuba, with stops in paradigmatic places of national culture and history, such as Cuartel Moncada, Granjita Siboney, the sanctuary of Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, Sierra Maestra, Las Coloradas and Playa Girón.    

Amistur has inked contracts with the whole hotel and extra-hotel network on the island and transportation companies –in addition to its own buses-; and it is making incursions into the private sector, by facilitating the accommodation in particular houses and access to private restaurants or bistros.

However, Abigantud stressed, the core of this different and original tourism perspective is that, at the end of the journey, the client becomes a better human being, thanks to the interaction with the most honorable values of the Cuban people, just like friendship and solidarity.