Tourist searches about Cuba from China have skyrocketed in recent days. This has been thanks to Cuba’s announcement of visa exemption starting this month for Chinese citizens who want to visit the island. The Ctrip travel platform is the protagonist of these searches, according to reports from several Chinese media outlets.
Just 30 minutes after the Island government’s announcement, searches for “hotels in Cuba” and “Cuban flights” increased by more than 40%. It was a notable increase compared to the previous day, according to Global Times.
Ctrip confirmed that residents of Beijing and Shanghai showed a very high level of enthusiasm regarding information about Cuba.
Meanwhile, official data from the Chinese travel platform Qunar reveal that the price of a one-way ticket Beijing-Havana is around 8,200 yuan (around $1,132 USD). Meanwhile, the return trip costs about 5,700 yuan.
Direct flights with Air China
At this time there are no direct flights between China and Havana. However, Air China plans to resume the Beijing-Havana route, via Madrid, on May 17. The company recalled that its services had been suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Based on aspects such as distance and cost, Cuba has not been a popular destination for Chinese tourists until now. Qin Jing, general director of Public Affairs of Ctrip Group, commented on the topic.
“Cuba, as well as Mexico and Brazil, have unique cultural and natural landscapes that are very attractive to Chinese tourists.”
Until the end of last April, Cuba had received more than a million international tourists so far in 2024, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism. Cuba predicted the arrival of some 3.5 million international tourists at the end of the year.
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