CubaPLUS Magazine

Havanatur, the leading international group of tour operators and travel agencies in the promotion and marketing of Cuban tourism products, is now consolidating its position among the main sources of Russian tourists to the Caribbean island.

The director of the Havanatur Varadero branch, Pedro Orlando Pérez, told Prensa Latina exclusively during the Moscow International Tourism Fair (MITT 2025) that among the main clients they receive from the Eurasian giant are groups of workers from the Russian oil company Rosneft.

"The agreement with the Russian hydrocarbon company Rosneft is historic for our agency and for the Cuban leisure industry in general. This project is increasing its presence every year, especially in Varadero. On March 28th, we will be receiving the first group for 2025, in addition to six others that will arrive throughout the rest of the year," the director stated.

In this regard, Pérez added that this program, aimed at workers and their families of the Russian government's oil company, is being developed in collaboration with its partner, Havanatur International-Russia, through which the Caribbean agency has established new connections and obtained foreign contacts.

He also noted that the group's annual projects focus on promoting important tourism activities for the destination, such as events and tours that distinguish the largest of the Antilles in the Caribbean. "We continue trying to attract more events. We consider ourselves an important destination for the development of this activity for many reasons. One of them is that Cuba has a renovated hotel infrastructure, which includes more than 80,000 rooms, 75 percent of which are four- and five-star facilities," he added.

In this regard, he argued that many of these facilities are conducive to hosting cultural, sporting, scientific, business, incentive, and health events, among others. As an example of these events, the executive stated that, together with their partner Taino Tours of Mexico, they will hold the fourth edition of the Open Waters event this year, on September 14 and 15 in Varadero.

"It's a great competition and celebration for open water swimming enthusiasts, which grows annually in terms of the number of participants," Pérez stated. He also commented that Havanatur Varadero is continuing to focus on its traditional markets, such as Canadian tourists, for whom, together with the Hola Sun Caribe Sol agency, they are expanding and designing new types of attractions, with a special emphasis this season on visits to the city of Matanzas.

He also mentioned that they are exploring new market niches, such as the Asian market, which is showing a growing presence in Cuba, not only in the island's largest resort, but also in other tourist regions.