Iberostar will open a new hotel in Cuba

TheSpanish company Iberostar the new luxury hotel will open in CubaCoral Level Esmeralda, in Cayo Cruz, province of Camagüey, on December 22,high point of what must be the first high season for tourism on the island, behind thereopening of national borders.

Alexeis Torres Velázquez, Marketing Director of the facility, told the officialCuban News Agency that it is located in avirgin key with more than 26 kilometers of beach. Its construction recreates a coffee plantation from the second half of the 19th century and proposes the direct exchange of guests withthe flora and fauna of the place, despite being composed of threatened species, like the iguana and the pink flamingo.

During last October,Iberostar had announced the opening of this luxury center, despite the fact that the people of the Greater Antilles suffered one of the worst stages ofthe economic and health crisis that the country is going through, aggravated by theCOVID-19. The island reported today73 new positive cases of the virus and two deaths.

In alliance with theMinistry of Tourism, they promotedCoral Level Esmeralda as a new five-star level within aresort of the same category, wherethe foreign client can enjoyexclusive reserved spaces and premium luxury suite service.

The hotel allowsthe Spanish company, based in Palmas de Mallorca, arrive at18 tourist facilities in Cuba, three of them in urban areas of Havana, six in Varadero and the rest in the northern keys and in the eastern provinces. All these hotelsThey have already opened their doors to tourism, with the implementation of rigorous health protocols and the incorporation ofmedical and epidemiological teams in each facility.

Torres Velázquez stated thatIberostar is committed to growing in luxury tourism, particularly in the Caribbean area. To expand their services they incorporated the hotel chain,World2Fly airline and a logistics company, with high standard products.

The Cuban government announced that in 2022 they expect to receive two million foreign visitors, a figure similar to that reached in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic caused economic andmore than 8,000 deaths in the country. In the current year,the arrival of international travelers fell by 75%, as a result of the health crisis and themandatory closure of national borders, as well asflight cancellation by airlines that included Cuban cities on their routes.

This has been the worst result recorded by theNational Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI), since it beganthe tourist exploitation of the country in the 90s. The Cuban authorities seem desperate to regain the momentum of this industry for which they have incentivizedtourist activity in destinations such as Varadero, Cayo Coco, Cayo Santa María and Cayo Largo.

Likewise, they hope thatduring December and the first months of 2020, increase the entry of flights and cruise ships return to the country. For this reason, they relaxed the health protocols from thelast November 15, only with the requirement of a vaccination certificate and random tests at the airport.

The ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel affirmed that the borders will not be closed again, even before the appearance ofthe Omicron variant and confirmation offirst case of this in the country.

In addition to Iberostar,Meliá will soon open two hotels in Cuba: one inVaradero and the other in the province ofHoly Spirit. During the worst stage of the pandemic,This Spanish chain closed three of its facilities on the island, claiming that they presented few business opportunities andproblems in your operation.