Will Cuba be flooded with Chinese tourists? Tourist searches increase after announcement of visa waiver for citizens of Asian country

Tourist searches for Cuba from China have soared in recent days. That's thanks to Cuba's announcement that Chinese citizens wishing to visit the island will be granted visa waivers starting this month Ctrip According to several Chinese media reports, the protagonist of these searches.

Within 30 minutes of the island government's announcement, searches for “hotels in Cuba” and “Cuba flights” increased by more than 40%. It says that this is a significant increase compared to the previous day Global Times.

Ctrip confirmed that residents of Beijing and Shanghai showed the highest level of enthusiasm for information about Cuba.

Meanwhile, official data from Chinese travel site Kunar A one-way Beijing-Havana ticket costs about 8,200 Yuan (about $1,132 USD). Meanwhile, a return trip costs about 5,700 yuan.

Direct flights with Air China

There are no direct flights between China and Havana at this time. however, Air China plans to resume Beijing-Havana route, via Madrid on May 17. The company recalled that its services were suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Based on factors like distance and cost, Cuba has not yet been a popular destination for Chinese tourists. Qin Jing, General Director of Public Affairs of Ctrip Group, commented on the topic.

“Cuba, as well as Mexico and Brazil, have unique cultural and natural landscapes that are very attractive to Chinese tourists.”

Until the end of last April, Cuba has received more than one million international tourists so far by 2024, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism. Cuba predicts about 3.5 million international tourists by the end of the year.