Business View Caribbean - January 2016 15
websites for flights to Cuba. The airlines must first
apply for permission from U.S. regulators to fly spe-
cific routes. Charter flights operated by U.S. carriers
already connect the countries.
The United States and Cuba have agreed to allow
110 round-trip flights on U.S. airlines to Cuba per
day, according to Thomas Engle, Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Transportation Affairs at the U.S. De-
partment of State. That includes 20 flights to Ha-
vana and 10 to each of the other nine international
airports in Cuba.
Engle said nothing is expected to stop the agree-
ment, although there was no timeline for imple-
mentation. Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe,
who returned from Cuba over the weekend, said the
move was not unexpected. “Normalizing airlift was
expected as the U.S. and Cuba strengthen relation-
ships. Tourism is the leading industry in that island
destination with more than 62,000 hotel rooms,” he
said.
And how will The Bahamas compete?
“We are working closely with Cuba in advancing
multi-destination marketing. “We must continue to
increase airlift to the Bahamas. I am pleased with
the new lift that will service Eleuthera and Abaco
beginning this weekend.”
Although the agreement will eventually make it eas-
ier to travel back and forth between the countries,
the U.S. ban on general tourism to the Caribbean
island remains in force. That is to say, U.S. travelers
still must meet at least one of 12 criteria to visit,
such as being Cuban-American or taking part in edu-
cational tours or journalistic activity.
The New York Times reported that several US airlines
have already announced plans to request approval to
begin flying. American Airlines said in a release that
it will submit a United States-Cuba service proposal
to the US Department of Transportation and wants
to introduce flights as soon as possible in 2016. Jet-
Blue plans to apply for new routes after it has re-
viewed the terms of the agreement and is clearer
on the process. United Airlines also is interested in
flying to Havana. And Southwest released a state-
ment after the commercial flights became official,
saying that the airline is excited about the possibility
of providing low-fare, high-quality service to Cuba.
The preparations are not only limited to airlines. Ca-
nadian industry magazine Travel Weekly reported
that Cuba’s Gaviota Group has big plans for expan-
sion over the next several years, with two new ho-
tels for the coming winter season at Villa Clara and
Jardines del Rey, and 15,000 rooms with 30 new
hotels by 2018 in Havana, Varadero, Ciego de Avila,
Camaguey, Holguin, the keys at the north of Villa
Clara, and Baracoa.
And the Wall Street Journal reported that hotel exec-
utives have pointed to Cuba’s proximity to the U.S.,
its miles of undeveloped beach front and a curiosity
among many Americans to visit a destination denied
to them for decades. The Journal quoted Choice
Hotels International Inc. Chief Executive, Stephen
Joyce, who said, “The minute it’s available, we’ll be
down there.” Joyce’s Maryland based company in-
cludes the brands Comfort Inn and Cambria Suites.
The Journal also quoted Marriott International Inc.
chief executive Arne Sorenson, who welcomed the
chance to set up shop on the island. “We will take
our cues from the US government, but look forward
to opening hotels in Cuba, as companies from other
countries have done already,” he said.
