Trade-only Cuba specialist predicts improved conditions ‘very quickly’

Trade-only tour operator Simply Cuba expects the next six weeks will produce progress towards a more stable travel and tourism environment in Cuba.

 

Since last week, the Foreign Office has been advising against all but essential travel to the largest island in the Caribbean amid a growing fuel crisis, which has left all nine international airports short of aviation fuel.

 

Alan Meadows, business development manager at Simply Cuba, said travel agents have been “remarkable” in their support and predicted improved conditions in the coming weeks.

 

“There’s been a lot of bad press out there at this moment in time regarding Cuba, but I think things will change for the better very, very quickly,” he said.

 

“I’d say within a month or six weeks, we may be having different conversations about the lack of flights.”

 

He added that he doubted the Foreign Office’s advice would change in that period, but he was optimistic about the potential outcome of talks between the US and Cuba.

 

“I think things will become clearer as to what the situation is, and hopefully it will start to stabilise,” he said.

 

He said most of the operator’s clients currently in Cuba are based in Havana, Varadero and Trinidad.

 

“They don’t have any shortages of electricity or food, so they’re very happy to be there and they’re having a great time,” he said.

 

While Air Canada and Air Transat decided to suspend operations last week, Meadows said other airlines continue to serve travellers.

 

Citing Air Europa and Air France as examples of the latter carriers, he added: “We’re waiting to hear an answer as to what the situation is, but they’re still flying.”

 

He praised agents for the way they have been handling the challenging developments.

 

“I’ve been amazed at the support we’ve had from our trade partners,” he said. “We’re phoning agents in a very difficult situation and all we’ve had is their understanding and offers of help – it’s been remarkable.”

 

He added: “Our main concerns are for the Cuban people and what they’re going through at this moment in time. It’s a horrible situation for them now.”

 

Direct-sell operator Beyond The Ordinary, another Cuba specialist, said it does not currently have any travellers in the destination, with owner Jon Kelly describing the country as a “hard sell” in recent years.

 

“It was a hard sell before the current problems, with the lack of direct flights, the Esta issue and power blackouts,” he said. 

 

Travellers who have travelled to Cuba since January 12, 2021, are unable to apply for an Esta.

 

Beyond The Ordinary also operates to Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, Guatemala and Nicaragua.

 

Meanwhile, the Irish Travel Agents Association cautioned that Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has upgraded travel advice for Cuba to ’avoid non-essential travel’.

 

Chief executive Clare Dunne said: “The ITAA advice to any prospective Irish travellers who may have already booked a holiday to Cuba is to immediately check with both your travel agent and your travel insurance.

 

“When the DFA advise to avoid essential travel to a particular country, Cuba in this instance, it usually means that the travel insurance policy will not cover travel to that country.” 

 

She added: “November to March is normally the best time to travel to Cuba. However, the number of Irish citizens who travel from Ireland to Cuba has declined over the past few years and is now very low.

 

“This is mainly down to two reasons - connectivity to Cuba from Ireland is very limited and secondly, travellers who travel to Cuba are not then eligible to apply for an Esta to visit the USA and must instead apply to the US Embassy for an entry visa.”