Cuban Tourism to Increase Flights to Russia
Cuban tourism is set to receive a boost with the announcement of increased flights to Russia from the island. The government of Cuba has revealed that starting in mid-December, there will be an increase in the number of flights to Russia, coinciding with the high season of the tourism sector. The focus will be on popular tourist destinations such as the Varadero resort.
According to the Cuban ambassador to Russia, Julio Garmendía, the Russian airline Aeroflot will resume direct flights between Moscow and Havana, with a frequency of twice a week, starting at the end of December. In addition, there will be a flight every 10 days from Saint Petersburg to Cayo Coco, operated by the Rossiya airline.
Garmendía acknowledged that there are “logistical difficulties” in Cuba, but emphasized that Russian airlines and tour operators remain interested in the Cuban destination, where Russians are always welcomed.
The Russian Ministry of Transport has also confirmed its plans to increase the number of flights to Cuba to 10 per week by the end of the year.
The Rossiya airline has already been offering regular flights to the resort of Varadero since July 1, and will be responsible for the new flights to Cuba that will begin on December 24. The Nordwind airline also operates flights to Varadero.
In a recent report by Expreso magazine, it was revealed that while Cuba has recovered the least amount of tourists in the high season of the tourism sector, the increase in Russian tourism on the island has helped to balance the decrease in other markets, such as Europe.
According to the Association of Russian Tour Operators (ATOR), Cuba has experienced growth in Russian tourists since January of this year. It is estimated that by the end of 2023, around 180 thousand Russians will have visited the Caribbean island. This year, the figure already exceeds 146 thousand travelers from Russia.