| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 22/05/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 43 |
| Copyright: Other |
Marketing update by Linsey McNeill
CUBA is expecting an 18% increase in UK visitor numbers this year, bringing the total to just over 100,000.To cope with the rising demand, the destinationis adding 3,000 hotel rooms, which means it willhave 34,000 by the end of this year.
Most of the extra hotels will be added in Havana, Varadero, Holguin and the new, purpose-built resort of Cayo Coco.
The tourist board is keen to promote the latter destination in the UK, as a new airport to service the area will be finished next year.
Cuba Tourist Board UK director Max D’Ou said: “This will cut out the 1hr 45min transfer and make Cayo Coco one of the most important resorts in Cuba.”
The tourist board has just completed a six-week generic advertising campaign in the UK, which it plans to repeat in the autumn.
The autumn campaign will include adverts in six national newspapers, plus some advertising in the trade press.
“We had a good response to the spring campaign and we got 1,800 requests for information on Cuba from members of the public. We got the best response from the London area,” said D’Ou.
By the autumn, the tourist board hopes to have details of its millennium celebrations which will take place this December, as the government has declared 2000 as the official end of the century.
“The official programme is not completely finished but there will be a very big party in Cuba,” said D’Ou. “Everybody is waiting to find out what will be happening and this is something we will be promoting in the second half of this year.”
D’Ou said every resort in Cuba would stage a carnival for the end of the millennium, although the exact details have still to be finalised
The tourist board is also planning to organise a two-week promotion in a London restaurant in conjunction with a Cuban hotel group in November.
It is planning to fly a chef, a barman and entertainers, including a musician and a cigar roller, over from Cuba to L’Espanola restaurant on the Thames for the fortnight.
The event will coincide with World Travel Market and guests from the travel trade will be offered discounts to dine there.
The tourist board held a similar event during last year’s WTM.
“In addition, we are continuing to support tour operators’ educationals to get as many agents to visit Cuba as possible,” added D’Ou.
Cigar factory, Havana: as well as organising parties across Cuba, the government is flying a chef, a musician and a cigar roller over to a London restaurant as part of its UK promotional drive