Current State of Tourism in Cuba - Coursework Example

Introduction Cuban map Fig 1.0: Map of Cuba. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Incorporation, 2002. The Cuban tourism activities converge with its development. The Cuban solidarity is compelled and entwined with the tourists in the wake of the new forms of right-based development in Cuba. Quite a good number of researchers have engaged themselves in the exploration of impacts of tourism on the economic, cultural and social well being of the Cuban people. These comprises of the personal transition where the experience of both the locals and the tourists are analysed. Tourism has got specific consumption patterns and also a cultural capital since it belongs to specific social groups with a mark of individual identities. Many people do not always have the equivalent access to relaxation after normal working hours. The diverse types of leisure are normally arbitrated by the differences in status and wealth, gender, class and age. The attached and specific Cuban touristic models to the diverse social groups and the diverse Cuban historical moments are explained by the aspect of these consumptions. In the past, the ability to travel was considered a status-marker but at present, the travelling status simply depends on the type of accommodation, the destination, the style and the travel mode. The tourism style changes are not random and are associated with the matters of generational struggles, prestige hierarchies, social mobility and class competition. Our project investigates the tourism nature in Cuba and surveys the experiences of tourists within the real development as well as focusing beyond the tourism impacts on the Cuban society. Cuba’s Natural Environment The vibrant past and present symbols of Cuba are music and arts. The country’s natural environment is outstanding in the Caribbean. Millions of visitors are attracted to the Cuban humour and warmth as well as the stupendous sun-drenched beaches. Cubans are not allowed to oppose their government and also live in a rigidly controlled economy. Cuba frequently surfers from prolonged droughts and flooding, and tropical storms and devastating hurricanes since it is an island in the Caribbean (Yiorgos and Gayle 2002). Since the year 1990’s Cuba has endeavoured to preserve its resources and natural environment by engaging in agricultural practises such as organic fruits and vegetables, and sustainable agriculture. It has also instituted wildlife reserves such as Zapat Swamp and the country now has above 70 areas protected and over 15% of the country covered (Amalia 2004). The prospects of Cuban economic development and the future of its environment is compatible with the natural resources conservation and the environmental quality which has always been at the heart of the growing international debate among the government officials, academics, conservation organisations and scientists (Amanda and Durham 2008). The challenges linked with the reversing the long environmental neglect history and the prosperity of the Cuba’s natural environment are disputed by a few. Major Features of Cuba’s Society The motivations and the social-economic composition are the two most significant features of the Cuban migration to the United States. The immigration was highly prompted by the economic hardships, their marginality in the society, and harsh political conditions in their country (Anthony 2006). A politically amorphous character that was politically aggravated by the July 26th movement, was a radical editorialist nationalist of the newspaper Revolution movement that proposed for membership-based revolutionary organisation (Allen 2007). In the preceding months to the Agrarian Reform Laws on almost in the social and political sectors of the Cuban Society tabled their own views in regard on what it should include. Cubans are resourceful, full of life, passionate, hardworking and sociable people. The country is primarily an urban society with most people living in large cities such as Camaguey, Santiago, and Havana. Their lives revolve around verandas, balconies, and porches of their apartments and houses. Cuban Cultural Diversity Some of the key elements that realise and sustain tourism include the environment and the impacts of the local culture that must occur with acceptable limits. The disappearance of the cultural globalisation and economic opportunities for the government has resulted in a deep preoccupation with its own supremacy and the future of socialism. Culture has long been considered to be the major driver for ideological authority in Cuba and the roles of the intellectuals and artists were outlined within the revolutionary process by Fidel Castro in 1961. Revolution endured a wide range of non-oppositional views in the post soviet world for the cultural producers who adhered to the revolutionary politics (Augusto and Alfonso 2005). Cuban way of Living The Cuban economy is not wholly integrated in the global economy and in many aspects remains to be moderately closed to foreign investment. The country is also a rather low-income economy and a non-market (Joseph and Armando 2009). Cuba depends on debt forgiveness, trade credits, and barter trade in financing their portion of imports with their trade partners. The country experience challenges in increasing their import purchases because it faces acute shortage of foreign exchange (Julie 2012). This is as a result of the multilateral sanctions that were imposed on Cuba by the Organisations of American States in July 1964 that jointly suspended the economic and diplomatic relations with Cuba. Cuba’s History and Heritage Resources Since 1942, Europe has known one of the earliest discoveries of the great admiral as the island of Cuba, and has borne the names of Santiago and Ave Maria, Fernandina, and Juana after having at last found a refuge in the aboriginal, appellation (Roland 2006). The Spaniards from St. Domingo did colonise Cuba soon after its discovery by the Columbus. The Spaniards home government later considered it the home military deport while at its operations at the Mexico period (Webster 1992). At the stage of this history, Cuba was still not yet considered a mine of wealth to the Spanish treasury despite the fact that the country was certain to demonstrate the richest jewel in the Castilian crown. The Domingo colonists from Spain discovered the island and came across a peculiar native race that was timid, hospitable, and inoffensive inhibiting the island. The native danced to a tune of rude music of their own and judging from the character of their inhabitant, they were lazy and indolent. Never the less, Cuba can still afford a wave of new international tourism with a cultural focus on the side. Its tourism niche is evident on its wildlife reserves, mountains, and beautiful beaches (Allen 2007). The past is used as the economic resources for the present with the help of the social government that understands that heritage. The development of ideologies, the forging of national unity, and the “ground” abstract notions of heritage and history in visible form is made possible by the Cuban national historical sites, and the islands eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Allen 2007). These monuments and the national heritage sites are identified protected, maintained by the Cuban government (Babb 2011). Cuba’s Likely Motivation Factors Roland (2006) attempted to clarify the reasons as to why people travel and what determined their choice of destination. He came up with a variety of socio-psychological motives that make people to take vacations, such as the urge to escape routine (boredom), and to take a break as a result of high stress levels and referred them as ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors. Push factors motivates people to take vacations and a variety of them are referred to as a reaction to as ego-enhancement (a desire for fantasy that supports a provision of psychological boosts), or anomie (a social alienation feeling). The ‘pull’ factors on the other side tend to reside with the activities of promotions for the tourism industry and destination and comprise of the definite decision making of where to go. Some of these tourism motivational factors include: Recreation (Anomie) Kinship relations enhancement (ego-enhancement) Getaway from a seemingly ordinary background (anomie). Less inhibited actions (ego-enhancement) Societal communication facilitation (anomie) Status (Ego-enhancement) Self evaluation and exploration (ego-enhancement) In that regard, Cuban island as a tourist destination offers freedom to the visiting tourists especially from the U.S citizens who come to relax their minds and engage themselves in sexual activities with the Cuban women for pleasure as part of the sex tourism. The Cuban tourism industry also offers the foreign tourists more power than the natives and exotics locale yet safe and “just like home.” Push Factors Margarita (2010) studied the variations in travel motivations in tourists visiting Cuba and identified several push factors. Tourists travel because they are simultaneously pulled by destinations attributes and attractions and also because they are pushed by their own internal forces. Some of the pull factors identified with the Cuban tourists comprise of; family/friends togetherness, prestige and luxury, escape, education and knowledge and achievements, familiar environment, novelty, excitement and adventure, and engagement in sports. Pull Factors Babb (2011) asserts that in numerous cases, ‘pull’ factors do not play the motivational roles since they act as common sense explanations of specific tourism activities. The pull factors driving tourists to Cuba include; safety, active sports environments, sunshine on the splendid beaches, local culture, shopping and cleanliness, local Cuban entertainment, diverse cuisine, culture, and uniqueness of the island’s small towns, unique natural environment, reliable whether and safety, and mountains and villages of Cuba. Tourists Merchandises The biggest tourist merchandises available in Cuba for tourists are coffee, rum, and cigars. Coffee is mostly available at the stores owned by government (plus the airport duty free stores) or on the streets (Margarita (2010). Moreover, Padilla and McElroy (2007) adjoins that Cubans are also good in creating music such as Afro-Cubano, son and salsa. The tapes and CDs can be acquired anywhere, and a quality music material calls for a payment of an average sum of 20 CUC. A proper purchase documentation is needed in the case where large quantity of cigars are purchased, and a quantity of up to 50 packets of cigars are permitted for foreign nationals without a special receipts or permits, but an export of more than that will demand an official receipts. Impacts of Tourism on Cuban Society Economic Impacts Tourism was the core industry and key source of employment for the nation and hard currency in Cuba during the pre-1959. Approximately 400, 000 foreign tourists visited Cuba in 1957 raising the tourist expenditure to 70.2 million pesos (Julie 2012). The Cuban economy then recorded tourism as the second largest foreign currency earner. The tourism hard currency also exceeded the tobacco industry earnings. The collapse of the communism in various economies including Europe saw the introduction of tourism by the Cuban government with the help of the United States (Roland 2006). The Cuban development policy placed tourism in the forefront making it the major country’s money earner. The subsequent legal structures that followed permitted ordinary Cuban citizens spend US currency in dollar stores, open US dollar bank accounts and hold foreign currencies. This allowed Cubans to purchase monthly fees and licences enabling them to rent houses for tourists. Socio-Cultural Impacts The Cuban local societies also benefits economically in terms of jobs and earnings through the sales of handicrafts, and providing services and guiding licenses issuing and lodgings. Locals are favoured by giving them first priorities for jobs in tourist facilities. Local services and products, both modern and traditional cultural activities are also offered. Cuba provides a positioned understanding of tourist experience as forms of transformation and cultural change in the undertaking of cultural research into social development and tourism. The tourist activities and involvement in Cuba has also resulted in the moral depravity among the Cuban women who make sexual negotiations and turns it into an economical tool (Margarita (2010). The sexual –affective exchanges has enabled the Cuban women engaging in it to navigate their disparities of late capitalism and negotiate their status despite the stratification of economic opportunities available in the tourism market (Tony, Babu and Williams 2010). Environmental Impacts Tourism should be granted with environmental certified facilities and programs so as to assure acceptance of the standards establishment of protecting the local environment, surrounding communities, and the workers. This will raise the value of tourist facilities, improve local communities’ relations, increase stakeholder and investor confidence, and create environmental standards platforms such as waste water pollutions. Ecotourism is considered to be a good policy for natural resources conservation besides economic development. However many researchers such as Spencer (2010) consider it challenging owing to economic and biological intricacy. He argued that ecotourism can obliterate resources on which it depends besides being an economic incentive for conservation. Its main environmental impacts on tourism consist of loss of biodiversity due to habitat destruction and pollution especially on liquid waste management etc. Social and cultural tourism effects can also result in degradation indirectly (Margarita (2010). These impacts are however identified, prevented and controlled Cuban environmental policies that are sustained by specialised legislation and based on principles. Accommodation for Tourists in Cuba Cuban tourist hotel accommodations are divided into two categories namely the partly state owned and the state-owned. Tourists find accommodations that they can afford in every large town. The private accommodations are also available in Cuba. Accommodation in Casas town appears to be cheaper than in large towns such as Guardalavaca, Varadero and Havana (Sharpley and Knight 2009). The most convenient hotels in Cuba are the state-owned tourist hotels and they are available in all towns. The hotels are safe and equipped with telephone, hot showers among other facilities. Most hotels are run and owned in partnership by international hotel chains. Classic tourists regions such as Holguin and Varadero boast of modern 3-star and 5-star hotels, whereas the visitors in the less popular regions, tourists are accommodated in numerous Cuban homes known as the (Casas Particulars). Transportation Almost 50 cities in the world are linked to Cuba through charter and regular flights. Most of the tourists who visit Cuba arrive by Air. The country’s ten international airports positioned in Cuba’s main cities receives over 60 foreign airlines flying in Cuba with Jose Marti International Airport being the main entry point in Havana (Spencer 2010). Cuba has a good transport infrastructure and once the visitors have landed in the country, they can now experience the good use local transport such as the railroads, bus lines, rental cars, and taxis. Travel by air can still be used in connecting to extreme islands where accesses for earth are missing. Gastronomic Experiences in Cuba In Cuba, cooking has gained ground and forms part of the nation’s culture and as an attraction for both the tourists and the locals (Julie 2012). Tourism makes use of the substantial collections of the customs and traditions in attracting visitors in the diverse cultural scene in both rural and urban locale. Most of the high-end Cuban Hotels offer a combination of wine and food based on international cuisine. There are a more than cultural impacts between Cuba and tourists in regard to gastronomic bond. The island’s major tourist centres has got numerous restaurants and experiences added value to the Cuban holidays where tourists expect to find a quite place for the taste of their food and wines. Promotion Cuba aggressively promotes tourism in capitalist countries. Cubanacan is one of the tourism development agencies that was create in Cuba in 1987 to promote tourism in the region (Cuba-headlines 2013). Another establishment that was instituted for the same purpose is known as the Instituto de Turismo (INTUR) among other institutions to develop both the international and national tourism policies. Besides institutions, Cuba also employs airline representatives, tour operators, and the media, travel agents and sales promoters who all use different types of brochure to promote tourism in the island. The brochures have clear descriptions and pictorial illustrations of the tourism detonations comprising of the surrounding environment, transport, accommodation, and food and drinks options. Interpretation Cubans tourism interpretation is done with the help of brochures, tour guides, government tourism institutions, airline representatives, tour operators, and artistic expressions by either individual artists or organisations. The information given through these aspects include the history of tourism up-to the current state of affairs of tourism in Cuba (Simon 1995). For instance, a Cuban piece of art depicting a North American, European and the African culture, whereas reflecting the Cuban diverse demographic island is shown in the picture below in form of a brochure. Fig 1.1: A photo showing a mix of African, European, and American culture in Cuba Source: www.dreamstime.com Conclusion After the Cuban tourism slowdown in the 1980’s, the present years has seen an improvement in tourism growth and increase of tourist visitors in Cuba due to low prices. The generation of hard currency from tourism is responsible for the Cuban prime economic benefits and that has been motivated by the Cuban tourism polices. The tourism economic impacts on employment and national income is still very minimal in both in relations to national levels and absolute terms. This is because of two issues: constraints on supply and the tourism income multiplier low value. Cuban international tourism must first become a leading generator of income and employment if it has to become an economic development vehicle. Moreover, the Cuban economy has to establish effective linkages with other economic sectors such as retailing, services and agriculture. The country should also come up with more sound government policies that safeguard the country’s socio-culture, and environment from the negative impact of tourism. References Allen, J.S., 2007. Means of Desire's Production: Male Sex Labor in Cuba. Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power, 14(1-2), pp.183-202. Amalia, L.C., 2004. Between Love and Money: Sex, Tourism, and Citizenship in Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 29(4), pp. 987-1015. Amanda, S and Durham, W. H. eds., 2008. Ecotourism and Conservation in the Americas. London: Cromwell Press. Anthony, W. 2006. Ecotourism and Sustainability in Cuba: Does Socialism Make a Difference? Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 14(1), pp. 6-23. Augusto, M. F. and Alfonso, W. Q. eds., 2005. Cuban Counterpoints: The Legacy of Fernando Ortiz. Oxford: Lexington Books. Babb, F.E., 2011. Che, Chevys, and Hemingway's Daiquiris: Cuban Tourism in a Time of Globalisation. Bulletin of Latin American Research, 30(1), pp. 50-63. Cuba headlines., 2013. Promoting tourism in Cuba. [online] Cuba Headlines. Available at: http://www.cubaheadlines.com/2011/11/23/34352/promoting_tourism_in_cuba.html [Accessed 22nd October 2013). Farber, S. 2012. Cuba since the Revolution of 1959: A Critical Assessment. Chicago: Haymarket Books. Frank, C., 2012, Communities around the world: Cuba. England: Capstone Global Limited. Joseph, L. S. and Armando, H. P., 2009. Cuban Landscapes: Heritage, Memory, and Place. New York: Guildford Publications. Julie, M., 2012. Negotiating domestic socialism with global capitalism: So-called tourist apartheid in Cuba. Communist and Post-Communist Studies, 45(1-2), pp.91-103 Louis, A. P. ed., 2006. Cuban Studies, Volume 37. USA: University Of Pittsburgh Press. Margarita, C., 2010. International Migration in Cuba: Accumulation, Imperial Designs, and Transnational Social Fields. USA: Pennsylvania State University Press. Padilla, A. and McElroy, J. L., 2007. Cuba and Caribbean tourism after Castro. Annals of Tourism Research, 34(3), pp.649-672. Roland, K., 2006. Tourism and the Negrificación of Cuban Identity. Transforming Anthropology, 14(2), pp. 151-162. Sharpley, A.M. and Knight, M., 2009. Tourism and the state in Cuba: from the past to the future. International Journal of Tourism Research, [e-journal] 11(3). Available through: ezproxy library website, ezproxy.library.dal.ca [Accessed 24th October 2013]. Simon, F.L., 1995. Tourism Development in Transition Economies: The Cuba Case. The Columbia Journal of World Business, 30(1), pp.26-39. Spencer, R., 2010. Development Tourism: Lessons from Cuba. England: Ashgate Publishing Limited. Tony, L.H., Babu, P. G. and Williams, A.J., 2010. The Evolving Service Culture of Cuban Tourism: A Case Study. Tourismos: An International Multidisciplinary Journal of Tourism, 5(2). Available from: mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de [Accessed 25th October 2013]. Webster, G. R., 1992. Cuba: Moving Back to the Future with Tourism. Journal of Geography, 1(5), pp. 226-233. Yiorgos, A. and Gayle, D. J. eds., 2002. Island Tourism and Sustainable Development: Caribbean, Pacific, and Mediterranean Experiences. USA: Greenwood Publishing Limited. References for the Cuban Tourism brochure pictures: Dreamtime, 2013. Dreamtime images. [Online]. Available at: www.dreamstime.com [Accessed 21st October 2013). Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2013. Encyclopaediabritanica images. [Online]. Available at: www.britannica.com [Accessed 21st October 2013). Brochure CUBA Introduction: Cuba is made of a rich cultural heritage and impressive scenery. The island is positioned 90 miles south of Florida and is seemingly the largest island in the Caribbean with some of the best beaches lapped with clear warm waters on white soft sand. The evident post war revolution with the Spanish colonialism is steeped in the Cuban history. The Trinidad and Havana cities host the preserve of the grandeur of Cuba’s rich history in the UNESCO vibrancies in the virtually visible museums. The coffee plantations, mountain ranges, fertile plains rich in tobacco, and the deep valleys introduce the visitors with some of the amazing Caribbean scenery. Cuba offers unforgettable holiday by combining the necessary tourism ingredients full of the island’s diversity and exotic history enabling the tourists to enjoy explore the unique island to enjoy a lifetime of their holidays. Climate: The Cuban climate is tropical with less intense temperatures because it is cooled-off by the trade winds and the temperate breezes. Specific rainy seasons are experienced between May and October while the dry season is always experienced between the months of November through April in the following year. The average temperature is 25.5 degrees Celsius with most part of the months of the years being sunny days. Summer records a temperature of 28 degrees Celsius while the mean coastal water temperatures recording 25 degree Celsius. The average annual rainfall comes to 1, 500mm, and 78% humidity in average. Finally, December and august are known to be the driest months. Read More

The challenges linked with the reversing the long environmental neglect history and the prosperity of the Cuba’s natural environment are disputed by a few. Major Features of Cuba’s Society The motivations and the social-economic composition are the two most significant features of the Cuban migration to the United States. The immigration was highly prompted by the economic hardships, their marginality in the society, and harsh political conditions in their country (Anthony 2006). A politically amorphous character that was politically aggravated by the July 26th movement, was a radical editorialist nationalist of the newspaper Revolution movement that proposed for membership-based revolutionary organisation (Allen 2007).

In the preceding months to the Agrarian Reform Laws on almost in the social and political sectors of the Cuban Society tabled their own views in regard on what it should include. Cubans are resourceful, full of life, passionate, hardworking and sociable people. The country is primarily an urban society with most people living in large cities such as Camaguey, Santiago, and Havana. Their lives revolve around verandas, balconies, and porches of their apartments and houses. Cuban Cultural Diversity Some of the key elements that realise and sustain tourism include the environment and the impacts of the local culture that must occur with acceptable limits.

The disappearance of the cultural globalisation and economic opportunities for the government has resulted in a deep preoccupation with its own supremacy and the future of socialism. Culture has long been considered to be the major driver for ideological authority in Cuba and the roles of the intellectuals and artists were outlined within the revolutionary process by Fidel Castro in 1961. Revolution endured a wide range of non-oppositional views in the post soviet world for the cultural producers who adhered to the revolutionary politics (Augusto and Alfonso 2005).

Cuban way of Living The Cuban economy is not wholly integrated in the global economy and in many aspects remains to be moderately closed to foreign investment. The country is also a rather low-income economy and a non-market (Joseph and Armando 2009). Cuba depends on debt forgiveness, trade credits, and barter trade in financing their portion of imports with their trade partners. The country experience challenges in increasing their import purchases because it faces acute shortage of foreign exchange (Julie 2012).

This is as a result of the multilateral sanctions that were imposed on Cuba by the Organisations of American States in July 1964 that jointly suspended the economic and diplomatic relations with Cuba. Cuba’s History and Heritage Resources Since 1942, Europe has known one of the earliest discoveries of the great admiral as the island of Cuba, and has borne the names of Santiago and Ave Maria, Fernandina, and Juana after having at last found a refuge in the aboriginal, appellation (Roland 2006).

The Spaniards from St. Domingo did colonise Cuba soon after its discovery by the Columbus. The Spaniards home government later considered it the home military deport while at its operations at the Mexico period (Webster 1992). At the stage of this history, Cuba was still not yet considered a mine of wealth to the Spanish treasury despite the fact that the country was certain to demonstrate the richest jewel in the Castilian crown. The Domingo colonists from Spain discovered the island and came across a peculiar native race that was timid, hospitable, and inoffensive inhibiting the island.

The native danced to a tune of rude music of their own and judging from the character of their inhabitant, they were lazy and indolent. Never the less, Cuba can still afford a wave of new international tourism with a cultural focus on the side. Its tourism niche is evident on its wildlife reserves, mountains, and beautiful beaches (Allen 2007). The past is used as the economic resources for the present with the help of the social government that understands that heritage.

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