Cuba reopened its borders this Monday and is committed to international tourism aimed at improving its battered economy, which is going through one of the most serious crisis in recent years.
The expected reopening of Cuba to international tourism coincides with the celebrations of Havana’s 502nd anniversary.
According to Hosteltur, starting this Monday, all passengers who have received a vaccine recognized by Cuba’s health authorities, including children under 12 years old, will be able to enter the island without a negative test or quarantine.
Unvaccinated travelers will be asked to present a PCR or Antigen COVID-19 negative test result issued within 72 hours prior to arrival in Cuba.
A gradual increase in air operations is expected at the island’s 10 international airports, to grow from 63 flights per week today to more than 400 in a couple of weeks.
It is expected that 147 flights from the United States will arrive in different Cuban cities, where the largest community of Cuban emigrants abroad resides.
From this number of flights, 77 will be direct to the José Martí International Airport in Havana. American Airlines and Southwest will fly to Havana every day starting in December.
Cuba suspended commercial and charter flights in April 2020 to stop the expansion of the COVID-19 virus and in October 2020, it reopened the airports, but with a drastic reduction in flights, limiting them to those from the U.S., Mexico, Panama, Bahamas, and Haiti, Dominican Republic, and Colombia.
According to cubadebate, around 200,000 travelers have entered the country so far this year, and another 100,000 are expected before the end of 2021
The number of international travelers did not reach 1.1 million last year, after four consecutive years above 4 million and a peak of 4.8 million in 2018.
Currently, more than 23 carriers fly to Cuba, among which are Air France, Iberia, Air Europa, Air Canada, Viva Aerobus, Air Century, American Airlines, Jet Blue, Royal Flight, Aeroflot, Azur Air, Bahamas Air, Copa Airlines, TAAG Angolana, Iberojet, InterCaribbean, Neos, Wingo, Southwest, Nordwind, Turkish Airlines, W2Fly, SunWing, Air Transat, Magnicharters, and Arajet.
