Cuban Officials Attended U.S.-Cuba Travel Summit in Cancun

More than 30 Cuban government and travel sector leaders took part in the U.S.-Cuba Travel Summit, which was held in Cancun last Friday. Led by Cuban Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz and Ambassador Jorge Bolanos, chief of the Cuban Interests Section on Embassy Row in Washington, D.C., the delegation included government officials from the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Trade & Investment and the Ministry of Foreign Relations.

“The high level of the delegation underscores the importance with which our Cuban peers see this opportunity,” said Lisa Simon, president of the National Tour Association. “The tour operators and others here from the United States will be well prepared in this market as a result of meeting with so many key players from Cuba.”

On the travel sector side, top leaders of the key travel companies in Cuba were in attendance to meet with U.S. delegates to discuss potential business should travel to Cuba be opened by current legislation under consideration in Congress (the Peterson-Moran bill, HR 4645, and the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act, S 428).

These Cuban travel leaders included Jose Miguel Diaz, president of Cubanacan; Luis Miguel Diaz Escrich, president of Marinas Marlin; Norma Estrada, vice president of Gran Caribe; Abelardo Fernandez, president of Palmares; Rigoberto Julia, vice president of Gaviota; and Xiomara Martinez, president of Havanatur. These companies operate hotels, ground transportation, receptive services and excursions within Cuba.

The purpose of the U.S.-Cuba Travel Summit is to prepare the prospective business partners to understand and plan for future tourism efforts, building on the booming market of relative and categorically permissible travel to Cuba now underway.

The agenda included a video address by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), chief sponsor of the Senate’s Freedom to Travel to Cuba legislation. The summit is presented by Alamar Associations in conjunction with NTA and sponsored by United States Tour Operators Association.

NTA is the leading association for professionals serving travelers to, from and within North America. Since its founding in 1951, the association has served a broad and diverse membership and helped them expand market reach with innovative business tools, strategic relationships and collaboration within the industry. NTA membership represents more than 40 countries.