Half of New Year's tours to Cuba are already sold out

According to the results of the first 9 months, the Russian tourist flow to Cuba grew by almost 25%. According to the forecasts of tour operators, the positive trend on the destination will continue in the upcoming winter season. According to the representative office of the Ministry of Tourism of Cuba in Moscow, in January-September over 92 thousand Russian tourists visited the country (in the same period of 2017 - almost 74 thousand). As the director of the representative office, Edilberto Riveron Leon, told, the Russian market this year will update its maximum historical result of the last year (106 thousand people) and reach the level of 130 thousand tourists. The activity of Russian tour operators, who in recent seasons have been increasing the volume of charter transportation, is one of the factors supporting the increase of the tourist traffic from the Russian Federation to Cuba. Market participants themselves agree with this assessment of representatives of Cuban tourism. So, Lilia Parfenova, the director of sales of PEGAS Touristik tour operator, following the results of the winter season 2018/2019 expects a 20% increase in sales for Cuba, which is connected with the opening of new charter chains. If in the past winter season the tour operator had 2 flight chains to Varadero (5-6 flights per month), a seasonal chain to Cayo Coco and a chain to Holguin, this season there will be 4 Cuban routs, mostly on all-season basis. ANEX Tour operator estimates the growth in demand for the Cuban product at the level of 5-7% against the same period last year. According to experts of Biblio Globus tour operator, the demand for the direction is maintained at about last year’s level. In the top of the company are the resort of Varadero, as well as the combined programs “Havana + Varadero beaches”, “Mini Cuba + holidays in Varadero”. The maximum depth of booking tours to Cuba currently reaches February 2019. According to Biblio Globus, the stable demand for Cuba is due to the general trend of increasing interest of the Russians to more expensive long-range destinations. According to tour operators, Cuba is in the top demand for New Year holidays. According to PEGAS Touristik, more than 50% of New Year’s tours to Cuban resorts are sold out yet. The average cost for a week-long tour for two persons with accommodation in a 3* hotel on BB basis during New Year’s holidays is 240 thousand Rubles ($ 3,530).