2014 has been a tough year for travel companies dealing with Cuba. Firstly, the shift away from centralized hotel bookings has seen Cuba's MINTUR tourism ministry ratchet up direct sales of hotels through Amadeus and locally managed hotel portals. The second step in this move will see those operating websites purporting to be […]
On the 6th of May this year’s FITCuba will commence, once again held at the Morro Cabaña Castle in Havana Cuba, where it has been held for the past 9 years. Cuba’s annual MICE event is chaired by the top brass of the Ministry of Tourism or MINTUR. The Cuban tourism convention is designed […]
Every year Cuba's Ministry of tourism spends upwards of $25million on the renovation of its Cuban Car Rental fleets. However, each year the new cars purchased are often plagued with typical mechanical problems which render portions of the fleet unserviceable until spare parts can be delivered. A recent accord signed in mid 2013 […]
Behind the polished image of Cuba´s MINTUR (ministry of tourism) and their recent Autentica Cuba campaign lurks a sinister black market, or so we are told. Seldom do professionals from the travel industry in Cuba speak out and, less so when they are foreign travel professionals located on the island. Historically, fearful of […]
For an economy increasingly reliant on tourism as its only real source of income, numbers leaked this week from MINTUR (Cuba´s tourism ministry) do not bode well for the winter season. Consumers in Cuba´s single largest market, Canada, appear to have learnt from Cuba´s "panicked "price slashing of late October 2010 and are […]
HAVANA – The forbidden fruit of American travel is once again within reach. New rules issued by the Obama administration will allow Americans wide access to communist-led Cuba, already a mecca for tourists from other nations. Within months or even weeks, thousands of people from Seattle to Sarasota could be shaking their hips in tropical […]
Cuban television aired on Thursday the third and final part of the meeting which took place on Tuesday and in which Cuban and foreign personalities shared with Fidel their concerns on the need to improve the education and training of the new generations. Argentinean writer Estela Calloni said that it is essential to consolidate […]
As the Christmas season approaches many of you are looking for Car Rental in Cuba. We´ve compiled this from recommendations at Trip Advisor, Lonely Planet, Trivago, Amadeus. Car Rental in Cuba from USA Here is a short comparison of some of the Cuba Car Rental Companies who offer online reservations. Transtur Rent A Car - […]
Officially putting the "Viva Cuba" campaign to rest, the Cuba Tourist Board unveiled their new global marketing campaign " Auténtica Cuba " In addition to the launch, attendees welcomed visiting Cuban vice-minister, Maria Elena Lopez, as well as introduced Cuba's new director, Ruben Jimenez. Jimenez, who will be based out of the tourist board's […]
Dozens of Cubans, hoping to use their private cars as taxis, lined up outside the Transport Ministry's office today in central Havana. They were waiting to apply for a taxi license, an option that hasn't been available to Cuban citizens in a decade. According to sources, Cuba stopped granting new licenses for private taxis […]
With the landscape of tourism set to change, possibly forever, Cuba´s state owned Transtur, sole national car rental company which collectively controls brands such as REX, Havanautos and CubaCAR is furiously working to modify its 2009 new car purchase allotment to include a high percentage of automatic vehicles. Unlike European tourists who predominantly drive stick […]
Pretty much like most of you, we at the CubaBlog have been glued to the comments of the future elect and upcoming president of the United States. Whoever it is next week, it would appear that change is in the pipeline. Obama´s pipe appears less obstructed than Mc Cain´s but, both have made quite a […]
In 1512, after two previous settlements, the town of San Cristóbal de La Habana was finally established by Carenas port and thus, in 1519, was officially founded in a place where, according to testimonies of the time, a great silk-cotton tree stood and where the first Cabildo (chapter) of the City of Havana was celebrated. […]
Tell other travelers what happened: Bad Car? No Car? Bribes? Police checks? Insurance issues? Car hire companies? Car hire staff?
