During the first seven months of the current year 2023, around 1.5 million foreigners visited Cuba.
The 1,489,286 visitors mean 42.5% of the forecast released in January by the tourism authorities on the Island. The dreamed top for this course is the very optimistic figure of 3.5 million.
To achieve the proposed objective, more than two million tourists must arrive in the country in the remainder of the year. Although not impossible, it is unlikely that this will happen, if we take into account that it is a maximum number of visitors that has never been established on the Island.
The official statistics were revealed by the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI). Meanwhile, the Ministry of Tourism in Cuba (MINTUR) highlighted the growth of 178.4% compared to the same period of the previous year.
Main emitters of tourism to Cuba
Several countries stand today as the main emitters of tourism to Cuba. The leaders in this list are Canada, the United States, Russia, Spain, Germany and France. The annual increases have been notable, ranging between 115% and 240%. The natives of these nations have contributed significantly to the increase in the flow of visitors.
However, the Cuban community abroad provides the second highest number of international travelers, totaling 210,019. Meanwhile, residents accounted for a total of 431,580 between January and July. The sum of these numbers gives 1,929,286 people who have visited Cuba in the first seven months of 2023.
An attraction for many tourists is the benefit of staying on the Island. Since last November 1, those who arrive in Cuba, regardless of their nationality, may be in the country for 90 days. This is possible after the approval of an extension of the validity period of the tourist visas granted by the government.
Foreign visitors may extend their stay on the Island by requesting a one-time extension and for the same period. Thus, they will be able to remain in the country for 180 days, six months.
