Cuba has
long ago ceased to be an exclusive winter destination, however this summer
Russians are drawn there even less. According to data from tour operators,
since June, the demand for this destination had begun to “simmer down”, and it
seems as though this tendency will continue to develop further. The increase in
the volume of summer flights and transfers – and this necessity was relevant a
year ago, in the face of this year’s lack of demand, is now playing against the
participants of this market. All the more, experts unanimously agree on the
fact that Cuba has almost
exhausted all of its potential for an increase in the tourist flow from Russia.
Symptoms of this occurrence could already
be seen last winter. Starting from mid-January and also in February,
traditionally the high season for Cuba, the demand was already
lagging behind the amount on offer. However, airflight companies didn’t abandon
their plans for the summer and came out with a significant increase in the
volume of flights available. In particular, “Transaero” brought the number of
flights up to 9 a
week (instead of 3 a
week, which was the case last year). In August, “Aeroflot” will add another
flight to an already existing 5.
“This kind of flight frequency actually has
a detrimental effect on the destination. June and July are on fire, while the
depth of sales for Cuba are
simply not there,” says the head of the Caribbean
department of the “Russian Express” company Milana Mitkina. This kind of
situation, according to her words, has already provoked a sort of dumping in
the market, where tour operators are forced to “stamp” out special offers. For
example today you can find a weeklong tour for only $750-$800, when flight
tickets alone usually cost $1250.
The “Caribbean Club” company also agrees
with the estimate of the start of the season. “The demand in June traditionally
falls into calmer zone. But this year, sales for the later dates in July and
August are already behind, when compared to last year’s data. We can assume
that tourists are just holding out till the last minute, waiting for greater
sales and special offers”, - the director of marketing of “Caribbean Club” Olga
Stolyachuk assumes. At the same time the companion of RATA-news is sure, that
the fly in the ointment (so to say) for Cuba, however strange it may seem,
was planted by Russian law enforcement reforms. “From the first of January
2012, the government stopped covering the travel expenses to and from holiday
destinations for workers of the Army, police force and emergency services. This
part of our clientele actively took up the opportunity to travel for free to
the Island of Freedom and made up a large part of the flow of tourists”,-
points out Ms Stolyarchuk. To attract more travellers, the company has begun
actively mastering combination tours, including all kinds of excursions around
the country and holidays in Varadero.
The ICS Group Company has also reported
that the initial plans for summer Cuba were more optimistic, however
they have had to correct and alter them in accordance with the Russian’s
changing preferences. “Cuba
– is a very interesting destination and relatively cheap when compared to its
neighbour the Dominican
Republic. I think that it will continue to
welcome its tourists, but to rely on and expect a sudden rise in the flow of
tourists is definitely not worth it” –Vasilyi Yakovlev, the head of the
Latin-American department of the ICS Group, expressed his opinion. Will the
tour flow stay on this level, or will it get even weaker - that will be evident
before the end of the year, as an expert in the field believes.
In 2011, a total of 78 000 Russians visited Cuba. At the
same time, according to statistics from Cuba’s
Ministry of Tourism, over the first 4 months of 2012, 36 000 or our compatriots
have holidayed on the Island. That’s 24% more,
that during the same period of time last year.
