European Tour Operators in Cuba Mull How U.S. Thaw Will Change Competition
Photo Credit: A tour group in Old Havana. Flickr / Male Gringo
Skift Take
European tour operators in Cuba are optimistic about their longstanding ties in the country and are concerned about how the tourism influx from the U.S. will exacerbate a lack of available rooms. Casas will compete with hotels and new infrastructure of many types will be needed to handle the new demand.
With U.S.-based travel and tourism companies such as Starwood, Marriott, JetBlue and Carnival on the way, along with an expected surge in American tourists, some foreign tour operators in Cuba still believe their experience there will serve as leverage against new Yankee rivals.
The UK is Cuba's second largest market after Canada and 175,000 Brits visit the country each year. UK travelers' demand for Cuba led Thomson, one of the largest UK-based tour operators, and part of TUI UK and Ireland, to restart Cuban itineraries from the UK that it had put on hold. Cuba's opening to Americans isn't a major concern for Thomson, at least for now, the company states, and flights and tours from London to Varadero, Cuba begin this week.
Holiday Place, a smaller UK-based tour operator that's led Brits to Cuba for 30 years, sees things differently. It's weighing whether to change-up itineraries to other Caribbean countries or to work with U.S. tour operators to help manage demand.
"European
