The Cuban government is looking to attract small and medium-sized enterprises (mipymes), Cuban entrepreneurs residing abroad, and foreign investors to recover seven properties and tourism projects currently untapped in Cienfuegos, some of which have been unused for years.
The announcement was made by the Provincial Tourism Real Estate Company, which aims to lease properties and spaces related to the tourism sector in order to put them back into operation or to develop projects that were never realized.
According to the official newspaper 5 de Septiembre, the call includes facilities located in some of the most attractive areas of the city, such as Paseo del Prado, the Malecón, and the Punta Gorda peninsula.
Among the available properties are the Cayo Carenas Tourist Villa, located in the bay of Cienfuegos, and the expansion of the Blue Palace, one of the most well-known properties in the tourist area of Punta Gorda.
The Campomanes Inn is also included, located at the corner of the street of the same name with the Paseo del Prado, and the Backpacker Hostel project, planned for Avenue 50.
The call also includes the land of the former Palmares warehouses and the Amanecer-La Punta complex, which consists of the La Punta Hostel and the Amanecer building, which previously operated as the Casa del Educador.
According to the official publication, the technical files and projections for these facilities remained archived for years due to various limitations.
Pedro Luis Lemus Sorrondeguí, director of the Real Estate Company of Tourism in Cienfuegos, explained that the organization has decided to expand its commercial opportunities beyond its traditional clients, including the state chains Gran Caribe, Islazul, and the Extrahotelera Palmares.
The executive presented the new formula as an opportunity to reclaim the facilities, reactivate pending projects, and improve the company's economic results.
However, the authorities have not publicly disclosed the amount of the necessary investments, the economic conditions of the leases, nor the expected timelines for recovering the facilities.
They are seeking private capital amid the tourism collapse
The offer comes just a few days after the La Perla del Sur Business Forum, held on October 9 and 10 in Cienfuegos, an initiative aimed at attracting investments and promoting new projects related to the tourism sector.
According to the official agency Prensa Latina, during the first day, 52 investment proposals were presented across seven business tables, and 28 letters of intent were signed.
The meeting included projects related to hospitality, nature tourism, medical services, and the utilization of existing facilities.
However, letters of intent do not equate to definitive contracts, and the authorities have not clarified whether any of those commitments pertain to the properties that the Tourism Real Estate Agency is currently offering.
The search for new investors stands in stark contrast to the sharp decline in the arrival of international visitors to Cuba.
According to official data, between January and August 2026, the country received only 450,353 international visitors, a decline of 64.4% compared to the same period the previous year.
The decline affected markets that have traditionally been important for tourism to the island, including Canada, Russia, Spain, and the United States.
The Government is once again turning to emigrated Cubans
The Cienfuegos call is part of a broader policy through which Cuban authorities aim to attract private resources and capital from abroad.
In June, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, Carlos Méndez, sent a clear message to Cuban emigrants and American entrepreneurs, inviting them to explore business opportunities on the island.
The announced opening includes activities related to tourism, the real estate sector, and other areas of the economy, although the participation of investors remains subject to the regulations and approvals established by the State.
In May, the Minister of Tourism, Juan Carlos García Granda, also announced new opportunities for Cubans residing abroad to participate in tourism investments, under any modality, with new facilities, including the possibility of engaging in the leasing of hotel facilities.
The offer from Cienfuegos now represents a concrete application of that strategy. For the moment, the proposal does not include the sale of those properties, but rather their potential leasing and exploitation through agreements with new economic actors.
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