New five-star hotel in Havana to boost high-end tourism in Cuba
Grand Packard Hotel, Havana
With inauguration of the second five-star hotel in Havana, Cuba’s tourism is seeking position in the high-end tourism sector of the word.
Speaking at the inauguration function on Saturday, 13th October 2018, President Miguel Diaz-Canel said the hotel is part of a new strategy to attract more high-spending visitors.
Located in Havana’s Old Town with a stunning view of the city’s bay, the Grand Packard Hotel is is operated by Spanish company Iberostar, which has been operating on the island for 25 years.
“Iberostar has been present in the country since 1993 and currently operates 27 hotels with 7,881 rooms, adding the Grand Packard as its best exponent in Cuba,” said the President.
The inbound tourism sector has been witnessing a drop in the first half of the year and the authorities are expecting make up the deficiency with the arrival of the new five star hotel.
Restrictions placed on American tourists by US President Donald Trump in 2017 have put pressure on Cuba’s fledgling tourism sector.
Gran Hotel Manzana, the first five-star hotel in Havana
Despite the sharp contraction in tourist numbers, Cuban authorities still aim to finish the year with a record 4.8 million visitors, according to the tourism ministry.
While 619,000 Americans visited the island last year as part of official tour groups, the International Monetary Fund estimates that without Washington’s restrictions, Cuba could welcome between 3 and 5 million US tourists per year.
The tourism sector is the second biggest source of foreign currency income for Cuba after professional services abroad, and is considered one of the main driving forces of the country’s economic development.
Cuba’s first five-star hotel, the “Gran Hotel Manzana,” part of the Swiss group Kempinski Hotels, opened in May 2017 in Havana.
