CubaPLUS Magazine

Every September 27th since 1980, World Tourism Day is celebrated around the world with the aim of raising awareness about the social, cultural, political and economic value of the sector and at the same time how it can contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development goals.

Likewise, tourism is considered a relevant factor in forging a better future for the world's population, as it is also an important source of employment for all people equally. It is important to note that the travel and tourism industry is today one of the most competitive in the world and an example of this is that the sector's contribution to the world's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023 was approximately 9.9 trillion dollars (USD), a share of 9.1 percent of the world's total GDP, according to figures from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

In the case of emerging economies and developing countries, tourism offers them great opportunities as it enables the creation of jobs, strengthens the local economy, contributes to the development of the infrastructure of nations, while helping to preserve the environment, cultural assets and traditions, as well as to reduce poverty and inequality.

Cuba, a small Caribbean island in development, currently has the travel industry as a fundamental pillar of economic growth, hence it strives and works every day to improve the services it offers to visitors. To this end, it has a professionally prepared workforce that is estimated to be just over 116 thousand employees, at the end of 2022, while it has a hotel plant of close to 400 accommodations that exceed 72 thousand rooms and close to 800 restaurants and numerous cultural centers and museums throughout the country.

With all this, Cuba is preparing to start a high season next November with renovated facilities and the certainty that this year tourism will continue to recover, despite the difficulties it faces due to the economic and commercial obstacles imposed on the island by the United States for more than 60 years, which have a significant impact on the tourism sector.

I send a big congratulation to all the workers in the sector and the wish to achieve the successes they deserve in the upcoming high season.