HAVANA, CUBA (WSVN) — The new era in U.S., Cuba relations will mean a growing number of Americans will travel to the island, but the next question is if the island ready.
With all the historic changes between the United States and Cuba, tourists are setting their sights on a tropical getaway, however, Cuba’s infrastructure isn’t used to so many people.
Plane after plane, passenger after passenger are landing at Havana’s Jose Marti International Airport. More than 100 flights from 25 countries touching down, leaving thousands of tourists and locals to deal with crowded terminals and customs areas. Some were waiting for more than four hours for their luggage and to go through customs. "You have to have a lot of strength to come here because the stress you go through to come to this country is hellish, pardon the phrase," said tourist Aymara Ramirez through a translator.
Now, as the U.S. and Cuba have agreed to restore regular airline travel after half a century, there will be even more pressure on the airport’s aging infrastructure.
And that’s not all. There’s limited hotel space, a lack of services and all those things that strain government resources are presenting a challenge to meet the expected increased demand. "I have started to prepare now for a new tourism that is entering the country," said business owner Fidel Francisco Miret through a translator. "There have been new doors opening and too many tourists coming and sometimes there are no places to stay."
Cuba hopes to continue to cash in on the tourism boom that helps the country’s ailing economy and provide tens of thousands of jobs to locals. Taxi drivers are a big hit too as nostalgic tourists enjoy a retro ride in an old American car from the 1950s. "There are many American visitors and they are fans of these American classic cars and we are trying to improve their condition, which will also benefit the country," said taxi driver Mario Reyes de la Rosa through a translator.
Other small businesses hope to be a big hit as tourists look for an authentic experience. "I had tourists who have come here and told me they’ve been in the National Hotel and there is no comparison between the rooms that I offer with the rooms of the National Hotel because it has very old things and because they are here with the local people," said one man through a translator.
But despite the big boom in tourists, Cuban officials said they are confident the country can handle it and they are prepared. "Of course, Cuba annually develops an important number of rooms, we are talking in the future one thousand rooms annually," said Maria Del Carmen Oreyana with Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism through a translator. "Preparing ourselves every day to welcome more tourists. Now one of our main goals is to focus on quality."
U.S. travels to Cuba has risen by more than 50 percent this year and officials said they are now preparing for at least one million Americans each year.