The state National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI) published new data this Thursday that includes the monthly drop of 23.5% tourists in April in Cubathe low hotel occupancy rate of 35.5% in the first quarter of 2024 and the increase in the relative weight of the investment associated with tourism.
“In a quick review of five statistical reports,” economist Pedro Monreal considered in a https://twitter.com/pmmonreal/status/1793725239429562560 that reduction in the number of international visitors in April 2024 compared to March “It is ‘normal’ because it is part of the beginning of the low stage of tourism, but the growth of 4.1% in relation to April 2023 is very low.”
Until April, 1,024,396 tourists visited Cuba, with Canada as the first issuing market (496,583), the Cuban community abroad (100,257), in second place, and Russia in third (88,323). Then the United States appears (58,830, despite the travel restrictions that the regime complains about), Germany, France, Mexico, England, Spain and Argentina.
On the other hand, heThe average occupancy rate of 35.5% in Cuban tourism entities was very low from January to March 2024, particularly taking into account that it was framed in months of discharge. The economist noted that “it did not differ much from the rate of the first quarter of 2023.”
“The combined relative weight of investment in two sectors mainly associated with tourism (‘hotels and restaurants’ and ‘business services, real estate and rental activities’) grew in the first quarter of 2024 to 34.5% of total investment (27.8% in 2023)”, added Monreal.
“It is not only incongruent the high concentration of tourism investment in relation to the low hotel occupancy ratebut also coexists with a very low relative investment in agricultural activity (2.8%) that even decreased in absolute terms“, said
For the economist, “The recently released tourism and investment data do not match the official narrative of ‘correcting distortions’“The weight of tourism investment increases in a context of low utilization of capacity, at the same time that there is not enough agricultural investment.”
With the “correction of distortions”, Monreal referred to the package that the authorities apply, promising goals that were not achieved when in 2021 they imposed the so-called Ordering Task.
Since then, the already critical situation of life in Cuba has worsened, with skyrocketing inflation, a chronic electricity supply crisis and loss of purchasing power of the Cuban peso, which has led to a dollarization of the informal economy, an exodus historical migration, increase in crimes and frequent social outbreaks that put the regime’s control apparatus in check.
While the official media silences the ONEI data, Havana continues to blame the US embargo for the main deprivations suffered by Cubans on the Island.
