Cuba Travel News and Information
Ventura de Jesus | Granma.cu
Cuba’s top beach resort has received more than 700,000 tourists to date and the conditions exist for the year to end with a total of one million visitors for the first time in the history of tourism in that province.
“Varadero has been strengthening its position as a destination,” emphasized Amado Acosta Hernández, Ministry of Tourism delegate in Matanzas province. “We have maintained progressive growth since the second semester of 2007 and, specifically this year, we are seeing the best results in overall indicators, although we know we can be still more efficient.”
Varadero has a total of 17,300 hotel rooms, and according to experts, it is highly likely that in February and March, the peak of the high season, the daily rate of tourists will exceed 30,000, a record set last season.
Acosta Hernández explained to Granma that damages from the recent hurricanes are insignificant; they were localized in the structures of several hotels, above all windows and roofs, along with landscaping and gardens. “We are now completely back to normal and preparing for the high season,” he said.
Leading up to the winter period, some of the most important actions include beefing up beaches with sand, with a current accumulation of 35,000 cubic meters.
The process of restoring facilities is particularly comprehensive at the Breezes Varadero, Tuxpan and Las Morlas hotels.
Acosta Hernández added that work is underway to improve roads, street signs and lighting. Because of the competition in this industry, a greater emphasis should be placed on service quality, he commented.
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As usual I read anything tourist related (or anything for that matter) from Granma with great care and skepticism.
Let’s see if I can run some math here based on the story.
Occupancy rate in Varadero: Assume two people per room so 15,000 couples in 17,300 hotel rooms would fill about an 86% occupancy rate (15,000 couples divided by 17,300 rooms).
So, I guess I can agree with that number for peak season.
Number of visitors: For two months (February and March) they have a “daily rate” of 30,000 people. I guess that means that there are 30,000 visitors in Varadero for 60 days. If they had 30,000 new people each day that would be insane.
Let’s assume that each person stays for one week or seven days. So, divide 60 days by seven days and you get a turn over of about 8.5 times. So, 30,000 times 8.5 is about 250,000 people in two months, the peak months.
That leaves 750,000 to be split over the other say 43 weeks. That works out to be just over 17,000 new visitors per week.
So, I guess I can agree with those numbers too.
Really? I would think you have to figure that arrivals were down substantially for September but then again they might be up substantially for October because other resorts are closed around the island so I think many tourists are being “encouraged” to stay in Varadero.
Just one nagging little comment though from this private travel journal from an October golf trip to Varadero I just read saying “Many hotels are shut down due to lack of guests in the off season or for renovation.”
Am I being to cynical?
Is all well and good in Varadero?
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