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By Kate Whittle
In the last edition of Cuba Si, Granma's Rodolfo Casals reported increasing growth in the Cuban tourism industry, with 15% more visitors in the first six months of 1997 than in the previous year. This increase looks set to continue, providing $1.7 billion gross income in 1997, from 1.2 million visitors. These staggering statistics mean that tourism is now the biggest source of income for the Cuban economy. But what are the implications for Cuba? How will this huge influx of foreigners affect the achievements of the revolution? Clearly the economic impact is considerable, but what of the effect on the culture, society and ecology of Cuba? And how can supporters of the Cuban revolution ensure that their visit to that beautiful island make a positive contribution to its continuing development? This article will not attempt to answer these difficult and provocative questions, but will rather endeavour to provide some background information, hopefully opening up a space for debate in the pages of Cuba Si in which members who have visited Cuba can share their experiences and opinions with those intending to visit in the future. In this way we hope that CSC supporters planning a trip to Cuba will have access to a wealth of information to enable them to make their visit a memorable learning experience for them as well as a positive support for their Cuban hosts.
In his report to the 5th Congress of the Communist party of Cuba on October 8th, Year of the 30th Anniversary of the Death in Combat of Che Guevara and his Comrades, Fidel Castro said "We didn't like tourism very much... however, one of our tasks was to promote the development of tourism and prepare ourselves to withstand the inconveniences of tourism, since we couldn't live in a glass case. And we see the negative and the positive aspects of tourism - and there are positive aspects - and it's our duty to know how to utilise all the positive things." It's clear the Cubans regard tourism as a necessary evil, and recognise the need to learn lessons from the negative effects of tourism experienced in many other countries.
It's also apparent that the enemies of Cuba have recognised the value of the tourism industry for the Cuban economy, since this year has seen a deadly escalation of attacks in the form of bombs planted in tourist hotels in Havana. Although most were small, causing little damage, the death of Italian Fabio De Celmo brought world-wide news coverage and condemnation of the terrorists. Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina claimed that the Cuban government has proof that the attacks "are organised, are supplied and are directed from US territory". The words of Ricardo Alarcon, President of the Cuban Parliament, who said he was confident that the attacks would not affect the development of tourism have been borne out by events, and the attacks appear to have been counter-productive, since the only noticeable impact has been world-wide condemnation of the terrorists.
Some statistics: at the end of 1997, tourism is growing at 19%, in an industry employing over 200,000 people. Visitors to the island have more than doubled since 1991, when about 500,000 visitors generated income of $387 million . In 1997, over 1 million tourists brought an income of $1.7 billion. By the year 2000, the industry expects to cater for 2.5 million visitors, which it is hoped will generate a gross income approaching $4 billion. Approximately 180 hotels and other tourist facilities provide 27,000 rooms for visitors, and it is intended to increase capacity to 50,000 by the year 2000. It is estimated that to date tourism has contributed around $750 million dollars to the local economy. The majority of tourists are Italian, with Canadians a close second. Other tourists come from Spain, Germany (100,000 in 1997), France, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil. There are an increasing number of tourists arriving from other European countries, such as the UK.
The above statistics include of course the huge number of visitors who arrive in Cuba as "Health Tourists" seeking help for a wide range of medical conditions and ailments for which Cuban medical practitioners have developed treatments. Cuban "Health Tourism" is famous world-wide, and has long been generating substantial income for the country. Servimed is the network of specialist medical and health centres offering both medical services for clients and training at all levels for health professionals. Clients enjoy access to the most advanced medical treatments, modern technical equipment and unique standards of comfort as well as enjoying the beauty and tranquillity of the countryside. Centres offer treatments for conditions such as: hypertension, , pigmentary retinosis (or night blindness), Parkinson's disease, psoriasis, deformities of the spinal column, bone tumours, paralysis, and rheumatic diseases. Health tourists can also take advantage of Servimed's therapeutic communities for the treatment of drug addiction, stress and the Ibero Latin American Centre for the Third Age.
Of all tourists, the vast majority arrive on package holidays. It is estimated that of these, only a handful (less than 10 thousand) are individual tourists. However, according to Prensa Latina, the Cuban Press Agency "To arrive on the island without having bought a package tour and to try to get from one place to another on a public bus could be compared to Homer's Odyssey". And no-one who has experienced the joys of public transport in Cuba would disagree. But travelling in Cuba can be a marvellous as well as a frustrating experience. Getting a ride in an ancient Buick through Havana's old city, riding to the beach from colonial Trinidad in something out of a 50's cowboy movie or being driven along the beautiful coastline west of Santiago de Cuba in a leather-upholstered Chevrolet as a guest of a generous and hospitable Santiago family - if you can speak a little Spanish and if you have contacts with Cuban families, you are assured of a rewarding and memorable stay. The Cubans are rightly famed for their warmth and hospitality, and they are happy to accommodate visitors, in Casas Familiares (Family Houses). However, in order to do so legally, they must have a licence and pay taxes on the income they receive from paying guests. Through pure luck, on a recent trip we found just such a house in Trinidad, on the south coast. Once the capital for sugar production boosted by the arrival of refugees from the Haitian revolution in the mid 19th century, its wealth created the beautiful city which largely survives to this day. In the nearby Valle de los Ingenios (Valley of the Mills) you can still visit the slave watchtower at Manaca Iznaga, a reminder that this wealth was created by slaves. We arrived there late one night, on route from Havana to Santiago de Cuba by train, and were welcomed by Bibi. Our room was cool and comfortable, with the wooden walls and high ceilings typical of the colonial houses in Trinidad. Bibi and her husband Ricardo were happy to spend hours talking about Trinidad, about Cuban history, about the revolution and about the conditions that Cubans have to endure due to the continuing blockade of the island. Bibi's brother had been a revolutionary who had died in the Sierra Maestra, and we were so moved when she brought out a photo, yellow with age, of her brother with his compañeros. Many of her visitors keep in contact with Bibi, at one point we visited a maternity hospital to collect a letter to take with us to post to Belgium, with a list of medicines and equipment which two previous visitors had promised to send. The midwife we spoke to was proud of the town's infant mortality rate of 0% for the previous two years, which she attributed to the high levels of care and good diet provided for pregnant mothers. Bibi was delighted when we told her about CSC and showed her a copy of Cuba Si. Ricardo, who spoke some English, was particularly pleased to read it and at once requested that they be made honorary members of CSC.
Bibi was an excellent cook, and was happy to prepare dishes with vegetables or fish, if we didn't want to eat meat. It's not easy to keep to a vegetarian diet in the interior of Cuba, like other Latin American countries, most people consider it essential to eat meat at least once a day! We considered that staying in Casas Familiares was an excellent way of getting to know our Cuban hosts and learning more about Cuban history and culture. Through staying with Bibi, we learnt first hand about the revolution and about Cuban customs, traditions and day to day life. We were privileged to stay in a beautiful colonial house, we met Bibi's friends, including a rather cultured gentleman who taught me to dance the classic Cuban "Danzon" and we have made wonderful friendships which we hope to renew next time we visit. However, to what extent is staying with a Cuban family really helpful to the Revolution? This issue was brought up in a discussion with Alejandro Cusa, the Cuban student who visited the UK in 1996. Alejandro pointed out that in the case of the Casas Familiares, only one family benefits - and then only those families with a house big enough to have a spare bedroom. This can cause divisions since only those families who live in tourist areas can benefit. Alejandro pointed out that when tourists stay in tourist hotels, all Cuban families benefit since part of the profit goes to the state.
So how does the individual traveller get around, is it possible to avoid the "Homer's Odyssey" of public bus travel? Travelling by train is exciting and a great opportunity to see some wonderful views of Cuba, but due to the lack of spare parts for the trains breakdowns are inevitable. The journey from Havana to Santiago, almost the length of the island, is scheduled to take 14.5 hours, but may take much longer. However, recognising the difficulties faced by the individual traveller, the Cuban authorities have recently launched Viazul, a national tourist transportation agency, offering regular services to the country's principle tourist areas, so that people can create their own personal itineraries.
Regarding the environmental impact of tourism, Bernard Lane, of the Rural Tourism Unit, University of Bristol has identified three major issues - firstly the vast amounts of fuel consumed in long distance travel (air travel consumes up to 8 times the rate per person/mile of coach or rail) and the greenhouse gases produced. Second is the physical damage we cause to the places we visit, such as the impact of new resorts on previously unspoilt coasts, where the building of beach front hotels can threaten the prime habitats of unique birds, rodents and iguanas. Coral reefs are amongst the most biologically diverse ecosystems on earth, second only to rainforests in terms of numbers of species they contain, and Cuban coral reefs may be at risk from increased tourism. Experience from neighbouring islands suggests that tourism has had negative environmental effects including damage to coral reefs. However the World Tourist Organisation has recognised Cuban achievements in the development of a policy of sustainable tourism, with emphasis on the protection of the environment. Cuban tourist institutions have leant from the mistakes of other countries and state that development projects are based on the principle of conservation of the natural environment.
The third issue is the impact on local cultures of wealthy foreign visitors and the effect on land values and labour markets and the increasing prevalence of western values and lifestyle. Lane points out that there is a growing body of knowledge about sustainable tourism, both at governmental and industry level, but adds that tourists themselves are the real power in this market. His suggestions include choosing long-haul destinations only for long-stay holidays, asking the travel agent and tour operator about their environmental policies and substituting bike or train instead of air travel. Sadly there's no train to Santiago de Cuba from Waterloo, but you could try Viazul or the train, rather than flying!
Fidel Castro said that there are both negative and positive aspects of tourism, and that Cubans must know how to utilise all the positive things. I think it is up to us as visitors to Cuba to know how to behave in a positive way, so that the tourism we do does not pose a threat to the achievements of the Cuban Revolution. There are undoubtedly some ugly aspects of tourism, experienced by all countries who have developed tourism as a source of revenue. Tourism can bring vice, drugs and crime to communities previously untouched by these evils, which is a high price to pay for the economic benefits. Tourists in Cuba will not experience anything like the levels of harrassment which can be found in other Caribbean countries (like the neighbouring Dominican Republic, for example) but there are hustlers and what David Stanley, under the heading "Nuisances" in the excellent Lonely Planet guide to Cuba, calls "panhandlers", in search of "soap, pens, chewing gum, money or anything else they think they can get". He adds "... it's correct to treat them with respect - at first". I have only rarely been obliged to treat anyone with less than respect in Cuba, and I have always been treated with respect myself. I believe that the positive aspects of tourism must include the heightened awareness we bring with us when we come home. As CSC supporters well know, there is enormous ignorance in the UK about Cuba and its revolution, largely because the UK media usually accepts the US version of events without question. Clearly, the better we know and understand the island we love so well, the better we can work to dispel the myths and to enlighten friends and colleagues about the true nature of Cuban society.
Finally I think it might be useful to make a list of When in Cuba Do's and Don'ts - perhaps readers of this article might like to add their own recommendations, which could be put together to make a CSC Guide to Visiting Cuba? What about setting up a contacts point in the office, so that people can take and bring letters to/from Cuba?
DO
Learn some Spanish before you go. Even a few phrases will help.
Find out about Cuban history. People will be interested to talk to you if you know about José Martí or Maceo, and visits to museums and historic buildings will be more meaningful.
Visit projects supported by local CSC groups, with appropriate and useful donations.
Research before you go into what would be the most useful contribution or donation you could take.
Contact the CSC office to see if anyone has a letter you could take to post in Cuba.
DON'T
Buy cigars in the street. They are either stolen from state factories or home rolled and 'faked' so you can't be sure of the quality.
Give money to beggars, especially children. Give them pencils if you have any. But don't encourage people to beg.
Leave money in your hotel room, always put it in the hotel safe or security boxes.
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