Foreign Tourist Coming to Cuba Are Tipped to Ward Off Greenbacks

Cuba’s Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero suggested foreign travelers coming to Cuba from November 8 onward to avoid the use of U.S. dollars and bring in other hard currencies.

In a press conference held in Havana yesterday, Mr. Marrero recommended would-be foreign trekkers to bring euros, Canadian dollars, British pounds or Swiss francs rather than U.S. dollars in order to make their stays cheaper and easier.

“This measure,” he added, “is universal for both residents and foreign visitors in the national territory. That includes services paid in hotels, restaurants, bars, cafeterias, taxis, car rentals and other services.”

Incoming visitors could pay either in convertible pesos all across the country or in euros in those areas where the European currency has been authorized: Varadero; Santamaria, Guillermo, Largo del Sur and Coco keys; Santa Lucia,; Camaguey; Covarrubias; Las Tunas, and Guardalavaca, Esmeralda and Pesquero beaches in Holguin.

“We suggest foreign tourists to come to Cuba with euros, Canadian dollars, British pounds or Swiss francs rather than with U.S. dollars. If they want to come with U.S. dollars anyway, then they’ll be bound to exchange them into convertible pesos at a ten percent surcharge, a tariff that won’t be applied to the other currencies,” Mr. Marrero went on to explain.

International credit cards will continue to be accepted in Cuba, either for paying for goods and services or for withdrawing money from bank accounts. No surcharge whatsoever will be levied on credit cards, not even on those that contain U.S. dollars.

Sunbathers in international marinas, terminals, cruise piers and duty-free stores in airports could pay both in convertible pesos or in U.S. dollars, yet the abovementioned ten percent surcharge will be applied on products and services bought in greenbacks.

At airports and in money exchange houses across the country, tourists could exchange convertible pesos back into U.S. dollars or other currencies authorized to circulate on the island nation without the application of the ten percent surcharge and in keeping with the day’s exchange rate.