Argentinian content creator Mary Low Cost, known on social media as @viaja.haceloposible, is enjoying a vacation in Cuba and was moved from the Las Dunas resort to another Meliá hotel in Cayo Santa María after the establishment announced its closure.
The Argentine tourist shared that when she checked in at Las Dunas, she was informed that the hotel would be closing. She and her partner would be transferred to another facility. Ultimately, she confirmed that the change took place and ended up benefiting her. She is now staying at a higher-category hotel and stated that “they came out ahead” with the relocation.
However, while the influencer showcases the new hotel, celebrating the facilities and the beautiful Cuban beach, a wave of comments erupted that reflects the uncertainty of Argentine tourists with planned trips to Cuba in the coming weeks and months.
Among the main fears that are repeatedly mentioned are:
- Flight cancellations or airspace closures due to rumors of a lack of fuel for airplanes.
- Difficulties in returning to Argentina and fear of being stranded on the island.
- Problems with internal transfers, especially to and from the keys.
- Food shortages and limited variety in hotels, even in all-inclusive resorts.
- Lack of potable water and power outages outside of strictly tourist areas.
- Medication shortages are leading travelers to recommend bringing their own supplies.
- Possible additional hotel closures due to low occupancy.
- Social instability or occasional internal disturbances amid the crisis.
- Moral dilemma of vacationing while the population faces blackouts, inflation, and shortages.
Some users are directly asking whether the hotels will continue to operate or if airlines will maintain their services in Cuba. Others mention warnings about limited fuel and fear that the situation may worsen.
Several travelers stated that within the hotels "everything operates normally" and that "services are guaranteed for tourists," but they also acknowledge that the country is undergoing a deep crisis, characterized by prolonged blackouts, inflation, and a decline in living conditions.
The incident involving the closure of Las Dunas—attributed to low occupancy—and the need to regroup guests in other facilities reinforces the perception that the tourism sector is not immune to the economic collapse that Cuba is experiencing.
Mary improved her accommodation with Meliá, but the debate on social media highlights something more important. Trust in Cuba as a tourist destination is experiencing one of its most fragile moments, at least in the Argentine market.
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