International Tourism Publication founded in 1996 Year XII • Issue 212 • September 2012 • Regular Edition • www.traveltradecaribbean.com • ISSN 1724 - 5370 Poste italiane Spa - Sped. in Abb. Post. D.L. 353/2003 Conv. in L. 27/02/2004, no. 46 Art. 1 comma 1, DCB Milano - Prezzo per copia EURO 0,25
A French Island in the Caribbean. Martinique and the Rum Route TOURISM IS MARTINIQUE’S principal resource with income in the order of 250 million euros and the reception of almost half a million tourists, essentially French (82%); the rest are Europeans (9%) and North American (7%, mainly French-speaking Canadians). The French are especially receptive to the French-
Cuba at Top Resa 2012 Cuba is once again present at IFTM Top Resa. The 45 m2 Cuban stand is located in the area of the Caribbean and its atmosphere features motifs of the Authentic Cuba publicity campaign. 8
speaking aspect in a tropical space, a fundamental element to reduce the sensation of feeling like a stranger. The tourism sector officially employs 10% of the active population, distributed among around 100 hotels, dozens of restaurants, vacation houses and some 200 hostels. 8
French Imprint in the Caribbean SEVERAL places in the Caribbean declared World Cultural Heritage Sites by UNESCO are permeated by French descent. There are three of them in Cuba: La Tumba Francesa (Master Work of Oral and Immaterial Heritage), Archaeological Landscape of the First Coffee Plantations of the Southeast of Cuba and the Urban Historic Center of Cienfuegos, a city founded by the French. Haiti safeguards the Historic National Park: Citadel, Sans Souci, Ramiers, which comprise the ruins of the Palace of Sans Souci – built to rival with Versailles –, the Laferrière Fortress and the Ramiers buildings. 12
State of the Tourist Industry in the Caribbean Conference CONVENED by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), the State of the Industry Conference (SOIC) will be held in Saint Kitts October 11 and 12, bringing together more than 300 tourist industry leaders from more than 30 CTO member countries, as well as representatives from the regional private sector, academicians and the press.
The Fabulous Caribbean that Speaks French
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French Caribbean: a Garden of Eden
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New Air Connections in the Caribbean
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Palace of Sans Souci.
Challenges of Climate Change for Central America and Caribbean AS PART of the joint actions in favor of conserving life on the planet and for sustainable development for the regions of Central America and the Caribbean, being carried out by the embassies in Havana of the republics of Trinidad and Tobago and Costa Rica, Costa Rican Ambassador Hubert Méndez Acosta gave the interesting lecture “The challenges of climate change for Central America and the Caribbean,” from which we have selected some of his reflections. 2
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TRAVEL TRADE CARIBBEAN • YEAR XII • ISSUE 212 • SEPTEMBER 2012
Challenges of Climate Change for Central America and Caribbean
Via Galileo Galilei, 47 20092 Cinisello Balsamo, Mi
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Web www.traveltradecaribbean.com
jected by the effect he islands of the of climate change in Caribbean Sea Latin America and “could suffer nuthe small island states, merous effects” like based on the Fourth natural disasters, Evaluation Report of the depletion of corthe Intergovernmenals, effects on game tal Panel of Experts on fishing and tourism, Climate Change: with “total losses estimated at 7% to 18% LATIN AMERICA of the Gross Domes▶ Increase in temtic Product (GDP) in perature and the sub2080.”(WB, Augusto sequent decrease of de la Torre). water from the soil The vulnerabilcould lead to the ity studies indicate gradual replacement that the increase of of tropical forests half a meter in the with the savanna in sea level would flood Eastern Amazonia. more than 50% of the The semiarid enviCaribbean beachronment vegetation es in the next 50 to will have to be re100 years. This foreplaced with arid soil seeable effect also vegetation would cause signifi▶ Risk of the sigcant impacts on tournificant loss of biodiism, whose principal versity due to the exstructures are fundatinction of species in mentally established tropical areas on coastal areas and keys of the Caribbean Mr. Hubert Méndez Acosta and Dr. Jennifer Jones-Kernahan, Costa ▶ Decrease of proRican and Trinidad and Tobago ambassadors to Cuba, respectively. ductivity of harvests islands. and cattle, with adPrecipitation in- Photo: TTC. verse consequences creases of between for food security. It is 10% and 20% in the estimated that the soy yields in temperate areas Caribbean, and of just two degrees in the temperawill increase. As a whole, it is expected that the ture, would reduce the production of beans, maize number of persons in danger of hunger will inand rice in close to 10%. Meanwhile, in Central crease America an excess of rains on the Caribbean coasts would be observed, while in those of the Pacific there ▶ The changes in the precipitation patterns and the disappearance of glaciers would considerably afwould be droughts. fect the availability of water for human consumpThe Central American-Caribbean region is espetion cially vulnerable to these climate changes (socially, economically and environmentally): SMALL ISLAND STATES ▶ Frequency and intensity of extreme climate phe- ▶ The rise in sea level will worsen the floods, the nomena: hurricanes, heavier rains, droughts force of storms, erosion and other dangers of ▶ Loss of biodiversity and related environmental the coastal areas, threatening with this the vital services infrastructure, human settlements and installa▶ Reduction of availability and quality of water retions that sustain the living means of the insusource lar communities ▶ Impact on health: increase of gastrointestinal and ▶ In the mid century, there would be a reduction respiratory diseases and those transmitted by vecof water resources in many of the small islands, tors like those of the Caribbean and the Pacific, to ▶ Effect on income-generating activities (agriculthe point of being insufficient to cover the deture, tourism) and public services infrastructure. mand during the low precipitation periods ▶ An increasingly greater invasion of non-native Ambassador Méndez Acosta presented in his lecspecies due to the higher temperatures, espeture a plan that lists some of the repercussions procially in the medium and high latitude islands. ■
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Honorary President Renzo DRUETTO Principal Director Giuseppe FERRARIS General Director Alfredo RODRÍGUEZ director@traveltradecaribbean.com Marketing Director Jesús RODRÍGUEZ jrd@traveltradecaribbean.com Editorial Staff for Italy Tiziana SETTANNI redazione.italia@traveltradecaribbean.com ttc.italia@gmail.com Tel.: +39 02 36540545 Editorial Staff for Cuba Josefina PICHARDO redaccion@traveltradecaribbean.com Design Andro Liuben PÉREZ DIZ androliuben@traveltradecaribbean.com Digital News Services Frank MARTÍN Webmaster Ariel ESTRADA webmaster@traveltradecaribbean.com Collaboration and Marketing Ana Cecilia HERRERA anac@traveltradecaribbean.com Dagmara BLANCO / Orlando OJEDA dagmara@traveltradecaribbean.com orlando.ojeda@traveltradecaribbean.com Ernesto L. RODRÍGUEZ ernesto@traveltradecaribbean.com Magdalena GARCÍA magda@enet.cu María E. LEYVA mariae.leyva@traveltradecaribbean.com Silvia I. ALFONSO silvia@traveltradecaribbean.com Zoe ALFONSO zoe@traveltradecaribbean.com Mercedes GUILLOT Printer Officina Grafica S.R.L. Inscrit dans le Tribunal de Milan avec le numéro 166. 13/03/2002. Publicité 45%. Proprieté de Travel Trade Caribbean S.R.L. Enregistrement dans la Chambre de Commerce: 08/01/2001. Inscrit à ROC Italia (Registre des Opérateurs de la Communication). Distribué par abonnement postal. Prix de l’exemplaire: 0.25 centimes. Interdite toute reproduction partielle ou totale des articles sans l’autorisation par écrit de ses auteurs, qui conservent tous les droits légaux et sont responsables du contenu.
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TRAVEL TRADE CARIBBEAN • YEAR XII • ISSUE 212 • SEPTEMBER 2012
The Fabulous Caribbean that Speaks French ■ Frank Martin
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he French-speaking Caribbean islands are like a fable. Once upon a time there were islands and islets of white sandy beaches in the south, of black sand in the north with ideal coves for scuba diving, swimming, fishing, reefs, thermal water springs, mountainous terrains, ravines, forests, volcanoes, beautiful flowers, like lilacs, orchids, and tropical fruits like coconuts, pineapples or papayas. In the fable the main characters would be the natural and lying in wait giants like the 1,463-meter-high Mont Pelée Volcano which in 1902 erupted destroying Saint-Pierre, one of the principal cities of one of the islands, and some 30,000 persons died in that disaster. However, that island that at one time was called Jouanacaëra-Matinino whose original inhabitants were the Caribs, deadly fierce, is currently called Martinique and the emerald green waters of a tranquil sea, when a hurricane doesn’t approach, are a magnet for nature lovers. Martinique has a tropical climate that connoisseurs describe as exceptional with a mean temperature of 25 degrees Celsius throughout the year. This means that the islands of volcanic origin that form Martinique are “open” the year round for the tropical enjoyment of the sea and open-air fun. Fort-de-France has 100,000 inhabitants and is its capital city, the most populated and Martinique’s principal port. A Frenchstyle city with signs of the best Parisian style,
fashion, customs, and automobiles likes the Citroën and Renault, and the art and culture of France. The French Antilles seem to all have extraordinary peculiarities, or perhaps mythical. They are also formed by Martinique, Guadeloupe and five lesser islands more dependent on Guadeloupe. The names of the islets, which have not been exploited massively by tourism, are suggestive: Marie-Galante, Les Saintes and La Désirade. Guadeloupe is, even in the fable, perhaps the most fabulous. Strictly speaking it is an archipelago that forms a French overseas department and a so-called ultra-peripheral region of the European Union. In olden times the indigenous people called it Karukera, which means “island of the beautiful waters”. Grande-Terre is its capital and it is a region with white sandy beaches and rolling hills. The island’s largest town, Pointe-à-Pitre, is a European-style shopping town that offers products with “made in France” labels. Basse-Terre is dominated by a sleeping volcano, La Soufrière, which according to geography is the highest point of the east of the Caribbean with a height of 1.46 km. Experts in tourism recommend that you pass through the nearby tropical forests in the 74,100-acre Natural Park of Guadeloupe, or spend a day in Grand Anse, one of the island’s best beaches. With time and money the obligatory visit is the Marie-Galante islet in the southeast, with spectacular beaches and rums that are the envy of other Caribbean producers. La Désirade is almost virgin; perhaps that’s where its name comes from.
DIVERSE CARIBBEAN In the French-speaking Caribbean Haiti is waiting for better times. Its revolution, the first in America, was a social hecatomb that changed its face and destiny. Haiti is part of the French-speaking Caribbean islands but actually the majority of its population speaks dialects derived from the French: Creole and French-based Creole. French is also the official language in the French overseas territories of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint Martin and Saint Peter and Miguelón. But Haiti is different. Earthquakes, hurricanes and a terrible poverty still don’t allow it to take off in tourism. Countries like the Dominican Republic, which shares with that nation the island of La Hispaniola, and Mexico are currently taking steps to develop that industry. Dominican Minister of Tourism Francisco Javier García said in early 2012 that “The Dominican Republic has great experience and is willing to collaborate with Haiti so that it can again resume the growth it had in previous years” in the sector. Meanwhile, Haitian Minister of Tourism Stéphanie B. Villedrouin also recently announced in Mexico that her country is working to achieve the application of the Mexican strategies in the sector that can be considered appropriate for the Caribbean country. The interest in the Mexican model is due to the fact that Haiti is currently seeking to attract foreign investments and considers tourism one of the central focuses for its economic development. But with its rugged territory, of fast and short rivers and its coasts facing the same emerald green sea as the rest of the Caribbean islands, Haiti is part of the fable. A neverending fable. ■
French Team Vying for Fifth Hemingway Cup GIRARD APRILE, winner for the fourth time of the Ernest Hemingway International Marlin Fishing Tournament, affirmed in an interview for TTC that “of course, I plan to come for the fifth Cup next year,” to the 63rd edition of this Tournament, to be held June 3-7, 2013. “We have been coming to Cuba for 20 years and I plan to continue coming, except if I’m sick or have some other problem of force majeure. While I have the possibilities of continuing to fish,
I will come to fish. Fishing is eternal, and so is Hemingway,” the French fisher noted. As to his impressions about the tournament, Aprile said: “I am very happy to have won four times the Hemingway Tournament, it is something exceptional; and to have won the cup at 59. We have had the luck as Frenchmen of maintaining it during these years and to take it to France.” “We have presented the cup in France; we have toured it throughout the country, to the south, north, east and west, which is why we can
Girard Aprile. Photo: TTC.
say that it is a very well-known cup in France.” Girard Aprile had already won the trophy in 2005, 2006 and 2009, making him one of the great marlin fishers in the Caribbean Sea. The French team – also made up by Norbert F. Chassery, Bruno Leonardi, Catherine M. Sauvage, Gilles Plichon, Conrado Moreno and Jorge Luis Ferrá – competed on board the Marlin X yacht and was awarded two prizes in the categories of Tag and Release and First Catch.
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TRAVEL TRADE CARIBBEAN • YEAR XII • ISSUE 212 • SEPTEMBER 2012
Tourist Industry’s Projections in Cuba
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n 2012 Cuba has advanced in the preparation of new and important investments. The Marina and El Patriarca hotels are being built in Varadero; Planta Real La Estrella and Laguna del Este I, II and III in Cayo Santa María; Flamenco I, II, III and IV in Cayo Coco; the Capri Hotel, Bungalow Alborada and Cueto Hotel in Havana; Barcelona in Villa Clara; Pansea in Trinidad; and Ordoño in Holguín, Cuban Minister of Tourism Manuel Marrero announced at the inauguration of FITCuba 2012. The investment processes in the new hotels in Coloradas in Cayo Coco, Albatros in Guardalavaca and Palacio Iznaga in Trinidad should start before the end of the year. Today Cuba has 58,626 rooms, of which 63% are four- and five-star hotels and 71% are dedicated to sun and beach vacation tourism, 23% to city tourism and 2% to nature tourism. There are plans for hotel investments in Viñales, Santa Clara, Remedios, Cienfuegos, Ciego de Ávila, Camagüey, Bayamo, Gibara, Santiago de Cuba, Baracoa and the construction of five new high-standard hotels in Trinidad. The construction of new hotels in Old Havana, El Vedado and Miramar has been previewed for the capital, all of them with a five-star category. Work
is also underway in an assessment of the existing hotels to remodel them and raise the category of several installations, since it would be a faster and more economic way of meeting the demand for four- and five-star rooms. Foreign investment continues being an important modality in the development of Cuban tourism. There are 30 joint ventures that operate more than 6,000 rooms and a similar number is being prepared. They also operate 62 management and marketing contracts with 13 international hotel chains, which manage 47.4% of the country’s rooms. The magnitude of the projects in which we are working to build real estate developments linked to golf courses has required going through a long and deep, but necessary, process of preparation. We are in the final stage of the negotiations for the four most advanced projects, and we plan to create the joint ventures for those that are ready before the end of the year, the minister added. In this sense, the non-state activity in accommodations, gastronomy and other services will continue being developed as a tourist offer that complements the state services. At present there are 618 paladares (private restaurants) and 5,207 rooms that provide accommodations for tourists, the majority of them high-quality competitive products. Seventy-three airlines, 40 regular and 33 charters, transport tourists to Cuba from 19 countries. Airport capacities are currently being modernized and expanded. The expansion of Varadero’s international airport made it possible to increase its capacity by 50%, and Havana’s José Martí International Airport’s Terminal 2 doubled it. Moreover, the runways and VIP salons were rehabilitated in the airports of Bayamo, Cayo Largo and Santiago de Cuba. Santa Clara’s airport will be expanded to increase new operations with large-size aircraft during the 2012-2013 winter season. ■
Cuba has 58,626 rooms, of which 63% are in four- and five-star hotels and 71% are dedicated to sun and beach vacation tourism, 23% to city tourism and 2% to nature. Photo: Melia Cuba Courtesy.
Marina Gaviota Varadero Will Be an Integral Tourist Product
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mong the investments that the Cuban authorities are undertaking, with the aim of consolidating the positioning of the Varadero tourist destination, there is one of great importance that stands out, the extension of the Marina Gaviota, on the tip of the beach resort. The work as a whole, previewed to start operating in 2013, will raise to 1,200 the mooring capacity of the international marina, and includes a five-star hotel resort of 423 rooms - of which 18 are suites – made up by a central part, the highest with seven floors, and four wings; five restaurants, beach grill and the sky, swimming pool and aqua bars, in addition to a convention center and a commercial mall on the first floor. It also has three condominiums (apartment hotels) with 126
General view of the Marina under construction and the harbormaster’s office. Photo: TTC.
apartments (42 in each one) – 27 studios, 46 with one bedroom and 53 with two – which have a private swimming pool. The complex includes 738 m2 of common areas: spa, bowling alley, swimming pool, beach restaurant, bars, restaurants, shops, mini market, laundry, baby club, party room and sea boardwalk. The Almest Real Estate Agency is the investment entity; the designer, Empai from Matanzas,
and the construction company an international Economic Association made up by the French Bouygues Batiment International with 50% of the shares (present in Cuba for 12 years) and the Cuban ARCOS, of Varadero, which like the Empai is attached to the Ministry of Construction. Built 100% with Cuban budget, the French part basically contributes the knowhow, organizational elements, management
control and some construction techniques. Phase 1, in exploitation and period of guarantee, comprises the harbormaster’s office and the technical infrastructure for the repair and maintenance of the Marina’s vessels. In phase 2, at 60% of the execution, the hotel and the condominiums are being built. The investment is undergoing its third construction phase (at 6%), in which the accommodation modules and the induced maritime works will be concluded. The quality of the constructions on land is guaranteed by a triple quality, security and environment certification company, according to international standards, granted by AFAX, the French Quality Assurance Agency. ■
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TRAVEL TRADE CARIBBEAN • YEAR XII • ISSUE 212 • SEPTEMBER 2012
A French Island in the Caribbean. Martinique and the Rum Route ■ Dr. José Luis Perelló
rie, to the north, the Musée du Rhum in the St. James sugar plantation, visitors find all the history and, a short distance away, in Fonds Saint-Jacques, a settlement built in 1658 by the Dominican friars, a scenario where time has stopped is on display, the Musée du Père Labat.
Doctor of Economic Science, Full Professor, Faculty of Tourism, University of Havana. Advisor for the National Chamber of Tourism (CANATUR), Honduras, and of MINTUR, Cuba
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Cuba at Top Resa 2012 WITH THE PRESENCE OF a numerous representation, the Cuban delegation is headed by the island’s Ministry of Tourism and its Promotion and Tourist Information Office in France, with the presence of Havanatur and Cubana Airlines. The tour operators Viajes Cubanacán, Cubatur, Gaviota Tours and San Cristóbal and the hotel entities Gran Caribe, Cubanacán, Gaviota, Habaguanex, together with the associated chains Meliá, Iberostar, Occidental, Blue Diamond, Hoteles C and Accor are also participating.
Philip Chevalier, director of the Bas-Du-Fort Marina and winner in 2007 of the Rum Route, with the author.
Martinique, a French territory since 1635, has a land area of 1,100 km2 and 450,000 inhabitants. It is one of the richest islands of the insular Caribbean, after Cayman Islands, Bahamas and U.S. Virgin Islands. This situation is defined above all by the presence of a local middle class linked to the European France, a rare characteristic in the region. Like in the other Caribbean islands, agricultural activities are at a standstill. Only 7% of the active population works in that sector (dominated by the production of bananas, pineapples and sugar cane for rum): the subsidized crops flags and “the sugar island” has to import beet sugar to meet the local consumption. This marvelous island’s tourist activity is linked to the history of rum. In Sainte-Ma-
Principal distilleries: Distillerie Dillon Fort-de-France Distillerie Depaz Saint-Pierre Habitation Clement François Trois-Rivières Sainte-Luce La Mauny Rivière-Pilote Rhum Neisson Le Carbet St. James Rum Museum Sainte-Marie Bally (Habitation Lajus) Le Carbet Distillerie JM Macouba Distillerie St.Etienne Gros-Morne Distillerie La Favorite Lamentin In Martinique there are dozens of distilleries and rhum museums where the best Antillean rums can be tasted, supporting the slogan: The Rum Capital of the World. To the natural attractions of Martinique and its counterpart Guadeloupe is added the largest nautical marina of the Antilles: Marina Bas-du-fort, which is the venue of the Rum Route transatlantic regatta. This route leaves from Saint-Malo in France where the most experienced yachtsmen from several countries in the world come together. Following the Rum Route would take us later to Montego Bay, in Jamaica, and to Santiago de Cuba, the cradle of light rums; not forgetting Mount Gay Distillery in Barbados and the oldest distillery among those that still produce rum, which has been functioning since 1703. ■
TOURIST ARRIVALS TO MARTINIQUE 2004 470 891
2005 484 127
2006 502 053
2007 503 107
2008 479 933
2009 443 202
2010 476 492
SOURCE: DRAWN UP BASED ON DATA FROM THE MARTINIQUE PROMOTION BUREAU.
IFTM Top Resa thus becomes the ideal space for the Cuban industry to promote its diversity of products, linked to its rich cultural and historic heritage, not forgetting the potentials for the events and incentives segment and highlighting the Cayos product for the lovers of these exclusive natural retreats. The exchange with the principal collaborators (tour operators, travel agencies and airlines), as a balance of the results obtained in the first half of the year and the promising prospects for this market, which at the close of July registered a more than 12% growth, will complete the days of the island’s delegation in the event, in
PHOTO: COURTESY OF TOURIST MINISTRY OF CUBA.
he Caribbean is a geographical area identified with tourist trips, in which two physical structures stand out: the Caribbean Sea and the Caribbean islands. The Caribbean Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean partially closed to the north and east of the current Antilles. It owes its name to the Carib indigenous people who inhabited the area when the European conquistadors arrived in the 15th century. The Caribbean Sea and its Antillean islands are a mosaic of nationalities and cultures constituted into a space of leisure for international tourism, which every year moves to that subregion some 20 million travelers in search of beaches, fun and wellbeing. Islands that bring to mind stories of pirates and galleons, of hidden treasures, carefree people and a liquor that distinguishes it, the rum as baptized by the English or rhum by the French. That drink was mentioned for the first time in 1650 in documents from Barbados; later in Jamaica and subsequently in the French Martinique where the incomparable rhumagricole was created, obtained through the distillation of fermented cane juice, and not from molasses. Since then, drinking rum doesn’t mean an act that transforms and causes carefree effects and euphoria in persons and their behavior, but rather it has become a part of the culture of all the Caribbean peoples as a historic, racial and hereditary imprint, of the melting pot of several cultures and of the entire transcultural process of which the Caribbean peoples are participants.
which the French public will be able to enjoy the Authentic Cuba.
Cuban Ministry of Tourism August 2012
French Caribbean: a Garden of Eden
Plage Caravelle. Photo: Comité du Tourisme des Iles de Guadeloupe.
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rance has a beautiful group of faraway islands and paradises, disseminated throughout the planet, among which the French West Indies stand out, made up by the islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe and their islets, located to the west of the Caribbean. Each one offers different climates, spectacular seas, unique landscapes, cultures and authentic traditions, as well as a prodigious nature and the hospitality of its local inhabitants. All this makes the French Overseas Departments (since 1946) places of great tourist interest. Martinique, known as The Island of Flowers, is located to the south of the islands of Guadeloupe. With a length of 80 km and a width of 39 km, it offers around 1,000 km2 of tropical bliss. This island, which emerged from the volcanic arc, is agreeably cooled by the trade winds. The north is dominated by the 1,397 meters of the Montagne Pelée, surrounded by a forest that promises magnificent walks, while the NEW FLIGHTS will be opened from Mexico and France to Santa Clara’s Abel Santamaría International Airport for the 2012-2013 peak season, which will facilitate these markets’ access to the Villa Clara keys, the youngest Cuban tourist destination. The information was given by Frank P. Oltuski Rodríguez, marketing vice president of the Gaviota S.A. Tourism Group, to the tour operators and the press at FITCuba 2012. Referring to this airport, Oltuski affirmed that “the international connections have maintained a sustained growth and the operation from Argentina has been a success…, the air terminal will be improved, expanding its operational capacity.” “Aerogaviota daily flights from Havana to the Cayo Las
south offers a succession of extensive beaches and tranquil bays. The markets can be discovered in its capital, Fort-de-France, as well as museums like the one of History and Ethnography and, not very far away, the famous Balata Garden, with more than 3,000 plant species. Visitors can practice nautical activities – scuba diving, windsurfing, jet skiing, kitesurfing, catamaran tours, surfing or water skiing, in formulas combined with the other islands (Guadeloupe, Dominica or Saint Lucia); as well as trekking and tours on horseback in a secret and generous nature. There is also quad, canoe-kayak, golf, tours on helicopter, canyoning, mountain biking, fishing of large species and other attractions. Guadeloupe and its five islets – MarieGalante, Les Saintes, La Désirade, SaintBarthélemy and Saint Martin (one part) – also feature the same values. It is the center of Caribbean culture and emerged as a fusion of French and African influences. Known for its sugar and rum as well as for its beaches, this provincial archipelago displays a seducing
mixture of urban cities, rural hamlets, tropical forests and isolated beaches. Interesting places to visit…Place de la Victorie, Aquarium, Gosier tourist center, Morneà-L’Eau Cemetery. Archaeological Museum and Park, Fort Napoleon, Saint François, Chutes du Carbet waterfall, Guadeloupe Natural Park, Maison de la Forêt, Pointe-à-Pitre beach and the Soufrière Volcano. AIRPORTS Pointe-à-Pitre Le Raizet International Airport (Guadeloupe); L’Espérance or Grand Case Airport (Saint Martin); Saint-Barthélemy or St. Jean Gustaf III Airport; Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport, Fort-de-France. AIRLINES Aérogare Pôle Caraïbes, Air Antilles Express, Air Canada, Air Caraïbes, Air France, Air Tropical, American Airlines, American Eagle, Avior, Corsair, Delta Airlines, Liat, Marie Galante Aviation, Oceair, US Airways, Winair. ■
La Estrella Village. Photo: TTC.
More Access Facilities to Villa Clara Keys Brujas airport are an excellent alternative for our markets and tour operators in order to offer, together with conventional stays, packages of combined trips,” the vice president of Gaviota said. According to Oltuski, “the joining in 1995 of the Las Bru-
jas, Ensenachos and Santa María keys to terra firma through the majestic work of the causeway gave rise to an unprecedented tourist development project in our country.” The first tourist installation, Villa Las Brujas, was inaugurat-
ed in 1999. Today, there are nine hotels in the Villa Clara keys with a total of 5,682 rooms, of which 94% have a five-star category. “What is peculiar about the development of the tourist product in the Villa Clara keys,” he continued, “is that the modern hotel establishments have been combined with a series of facilities that allow for fully meeting our clients’ leisure and recreation needs.” In short, the facilities that have been concluded include the Cayo Las Brujas Marina Gaviota, the dolphinarium, the International Clinic and a new proposal, the well-known towns of Las Dunas and La Estrella. Moreover, the SPA services, in five installations of this type, have been developed. ■
TRAVEL TRADE CARIBBEAN • YEAR XII • ISSUE 212 • SEPTEMBER 2012
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or more than 15 years, the French tour operator Cuba Autrement has brought to Cuba an annual average of 3,000 tourists – 80% are French; the rest are French-speakers like Belgians, Swiss and Canadians, in addition to Italians. It represents 80% of the Nature tourism clients for the French market. Its director, Mr. Stéphane Ferrux, gave an interview to TTC, parts of which we are publishing in this article. “For the French the principal motivation to come to Cuba,” said Ferrux, “is the culture, the people feel there is an affinity between the French and Cubans.” Out of the average 10-day stay, the clients of Cuba Autrement dedicate only three to the beach, the rest to culture and nature. Represented in Cuba by the Destino World Company, and supported by a team of 15 persons, it supplies agencies or tour operators – they make up 85% of its clients. It has worked, always focused on specialized tourism, in keeping with the French and European tendency, with several Cuban tour operators (Paradiso, Gaviota, San Cristóbal, Cubanacán and Cubatur) and for a year now, with Destino World, it has been represented by Ecotur. Out of its three principal elements, Nature tourism plays the leading role, including in it Sports tourism like bicycle racing, not for excursions. Ferrux explains that “a walk for a French person always has to have a cultural
Cuba Autrement
Stéphane Ferrux.
touch.” Another modality it markets is Incentives, because “Cuba is a very well posi-
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tioned destination for Incentives since it has a lot to say and show, while offering a value for money favorable for this modality.” “The third element is the most difficult, individual tourism,” he continued, of a very stable issuance and which has been increasing its percentage of participation in the French market. “We design a la carte tours, according to the menu of offers, and tailor made, which is when we create the product.” The Cuban destinations chosen depend on the market. For Nature tourism, the country’s three most important mountain masses: Viñales-Sierra del Rosario, in the west; Topes de Collantes in the center; and Baracoa in the eastern region. Half of its individual clients make a complete tour of the island to Santiago de Cuba. The Incentive groups prefer Havana-Varadero and the triangular Havana-Trinidad-Cayo Santa María. Unfortunately, Trinidad has a limited infrastructure for this segment. He explained that when Trinidad increases its hotel capacities, as planned, it would be necessary to guarantee the aircraft, always necessary for this operation. It does not offer a French Imprint Route in Cuba, about which he says “much is still needed to transform that patrimony into a tourist product.” Cuba Autrement uses Air France-KLM which in the winter has 14 weekly flights to Cuba. ■
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he lecture Law and Tourism given by Dr. F. Javier Melgosa Arcos, professor of the University of Salamanca, Spain, at the 2nd International Convention of Tourism Studies in Havana, was based on the premise that to learn the precepts of Tourism Law it is necessary to resort to the principles and techniques of Civil, Commercial, Administrative, Tax Law, not forgetting Labor Law. From the subjective point of view, Dr. Melgosa continued, public administrations, operators and tourist companies and the client-tourist are involved, and from the objective point of view, the protection of assets – coasts, cultural and natural patrimonies and others – and of the tourist services – transportation, accommodations. The role of Public Administrations is centered on the promotion of the destinations, the protection of the tourist user, citizen safety, information for tourists and transportation. Companies and operators: There is a statutory regimen (individual companies, societies), and they have their own means and instruments (publicity, brands, contracts, cards, travelers checks) with their own tax and labor contracting singularities. New models of companies emerge every day. The tourist, the leading star, has to be protected through an ad-
TRAVEL TRADE CARIBBEAN • YEAR XII • ISSUE 212 • SEPTEMBER 2012
Law and Tourism
Dr. F. Javier Melgosa Arcos, professor of the University of Salamanca. Photo: TTC.
equate juridical statute built on the central pillar of Tourism Law. It is indispensable to regulate their rights, complaints, claims and arbitration mechanisms and resolve speedily and efficiently the conflicts between tourists and operators, as well as the freedom of movement, passports or visas.
Another aspect deals with the Characteristics of Tourism Law: 1. Securing quality. A response to mass tourism because travelers move due to curiosity or adventure, while tourists do so for comfort and service quality. Today there is a tendency to
eliminate architectural barriers, and there are diverse regulating norms. 2. Flight of public administrations to typical instruments of Private Law, creating personifications of diverse nature (agencies, public companies, foundations, etc.). 3. Guarantee or protection for tourists and the tourist assets (natural and cultural environment). Since it is a transversal discipline, tourism is influenced by many sectorial regulations: Urbanism, Organization of the territory, Environment, Industry, Coasts, Immigration, Safety, Consumer protection, Issuing of titles, Nationality, Currency and money exchange, Transportation, Infrastructures, Communications, Legislation on historic heritage, etc. Out of the international organizations UNESCO stands out, by declaring the world heritage sites, as well as the World Tourism Organization, which issues documents with a global reach, like the Tourist Code and the World Ethics Code for Tourism. Meanwhile, the Norms of the European Union have given a plus to the protection of tourists and the European funds have served for the development of rural tourism. ■
French Imprint in the Caribbean
V
isualizing today the indelible French imprint in the insular Caribbean reveals this event as a transcendental episode that had an impact on the social, economic and cultural spheres of the region, a legacy that has become nowadays a tourist attribute as part of the regional identity. In addition to contributing to the development of programs and projects especially related to French-speaking cultural tourism. The French colonization in the Caribbean took place in the 17th century, with the aim of establishing a trade route for the sugar cane plantations and at the beginning involved the islands of Saint Kitts – the first -, Guadeloupe and Martinique. Subsequently, the western part of La Hispaniola was ceded to France, where at present the Republic of Haiti is located. The French immigrants who passed through those islands contributed experience, manpow-
Urban Historic Center of Cienfuegos.
er, capital and machinery to work the crops, and left outstanding cultural imprints. As well as the French Antilles, other Caribbean islands keep alive the imprint of France, and display it in their cultural tourist character. In Cuba… La Cabaña Fortress and the Morro Castle of Havana exhibit the legacy of their military architecture; the ruins of French coffee plantations survive and the most complete French pharmacy outside France remains intact; the painting on display in El Templete, depicting the foundational ceremony of Ha-
vana, was done by Jean-Baptiste Vermay, painter of Napoleon I and the teacher of the daughter of Josephine Beauharnais. In Vieques Island (Puerto Rico), founded by the French, some barrios conserve French names and there is still a small community of French people. Basseterre, capital of Saint Kitts-Nevis, is testimony of the colonial past because of the French influence in its architecture. The Dominican La Tumba is one of the many examples of that culture in Caribbean music. ■
TRAVEL TRADE CARIBBEAN • YEAR XII • ISSUE 212 • SEPTEMBER 2012
Napoleonic Museum in Havana
Napoleon’s death mask made in plaster by his doctor, François Antommarchi. Photo: TTC.
■ Julio Antonio Gómez Díaz professor of the Don Fernando Ortiz faculty, University of Havana.
T
he Napoleonic Museum of Havana amasses some 8,000 museum pieces of high patrimonial value. Since December 1961 it is home to one of the most complete collections on the Napoleonic era outside France. Its collections fundamentally come from the amassment promoted for years by sugar magnate Julio Lobo, considered one of the wealthiest men at the triumph of the revolution on January 1, 1959. One of the most important objects that stand out is the death mask of Napoleon Bonaparte, made in plaster by his doctor François Antommarchi, who after the emperor’s death (1821) traveled to Cuba in 1837 and settled in the eastern part of the island until his death. Among the most recently acquired pieces is a pocket watch donated by Cuban President Raúl Castro, which belonged to the abovementioned doctor and which was given to him by Napoleon himself in his deathbed. These pieces exemplify, together with a multitude of objects that make up an entire symbolic universe of the reconstruction of an age, between the French Revolution and the Second Empire, a beautiful legacy of the Cuban and universal cultural heritage. The museum is housed in a luxurious mansion inaugurated in
1928, under the romantic allusion of La Dolce Dimora, which was the original home of one of the great spirits of independence and liberalism - Cuban liberation army colonel, of Napoleonic origin, Orestes Ferrara. In keeping with he who started off his military career as a simple infantry soldier and reached the rank of colonel in the Cuban battle fields, was a university professor, diplomat and journalist, he appealed to the exclusiveness of the Govantes y Cavarrocas firm, the same that designed the Havana Capitol building and the National Library, for the construction of the Florentine renaissance style mansion. ■
Pocket watch given to Dr. Antommarchi by Napoleon in his death bed. Photo: TTC.
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TRAVEL TRADE CARIBBEAN • YEAR XII • ISSUE 212 • SEPTEMBER 2012
French Markets’ Tour Operations with Caribbean Destination
Tulum, Mexican Caribbean.
A
mong the tour operators that market in France the Caribbean region there are three that stand out for the diversity of offers, taking into account the information taken from their websites: Vacances Transat, Nouvelles Frontières and Frame. With departures from Lyon, Marseille, Paris, Bordeaux, Nantes and Toulouse, using Air France flights, and arriving in the Punta Cana airport, Vacances Transat organizes programs to Bayahibe and Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic. On the Mexican Caribbean strip, it operates the destinations of Cancun, Campeche, Valladolid, Mérida and the important Mayan sites of Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Iza-
mal, Cobá, Ek Balam and Tulum; it guarantees the flow of tourists with the companies Air France and Iberia, with programs from Paris, Lyon, Nice, Toulouse, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nantes, Mulhouse and Strasbourg, entering through the Mexican airports of Mexico City and Cancun. The Cuba destinations marketed by Vacances Transat are Havana, Varadero, Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Santiago de Cuba, Viñales, Sancti Spíritus, Santa Clara, Baracoa, Cayo Santa María and Camagüey, using Air France, Iberia and Cubana Airlines planes, from the French airports of Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Toulouse, Mulhouse, Nantes, Strasbourg,
Brest and Toulon, which arrive in the Cuban airports of Havana and Santiago de Cuba. Nouvelles Frontières has designed diverse offers in the French Antilles, some with the participation of TUI. In Martinique it goes to the sites of Fort-de-France, Le Carbet, Le Diamant Beach, Marouba, Anse à l’Ane, Les Trois Ilets, Sainte Luce, Tartane and Schoelcher; and in Guadeloupe, to Saint François, Le Manganao, Gosier, Grande-Terre, Basse-Terre, Deshaies, Saint François, Sainte Anne, Sainte Rose and Pointe-à-Pitre. Expanding its operation to other Caribbean destinations, Nouvelles Frontières offers in the Dominican Republic the tourist centers of Bayahibe, La Romana, Boca Chica and Punta Cana – Bavaro and Cabeza de Toro beaches; in Cuba the Havana-Varadero combinations and more than a dozen packages in Varadero; and in the Mexican Caribbean, to a dozen offers to Playa del Carmen is added others to Akumal, Tulum, Puerto Morelos, Puerto Aventuras, Kantenah and Playa Paraíso. Meanwhile, Frame includes in its portfolio circuits to the French Caribbean: in Martinique – Sainte Luce, Les Trois-Ilets, La pointe du bout, Sainte Luce and Anse à l’Ane – and in Guadeloupe – Gosier and Saint-François. In other Caribbean tourist spots it has offers for Varadero, Cuba; Punta Cana, Bayahibe and La Romana in the Dominican Republic; and the Riviera Maya in Mexico. ■
NEW AIR CONNECTIONS IN THE CARIBBEAN
ITALY, CUBA AND NICARAGUA LINKED BY BLUE PANORAMA The Italian Blue Panorama airline announced the operation of a new Rome-Havana-Managua-Rome weekly flight, which will link the destinations of Italy, Cuba and Nicaragua. ROUTE BETWEEN PUERTO RICO AND BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS OPENED Seaborne Airlines will offer, starting October 1, two daily flights between the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and the Terrence B. Lettsome, in the island of Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
NEW MEXICO-CUBA AIR ROUTE Cubana Airlines inaugurated the Mexico City-Santa Clara route. With a weekly frequency, the service will be operated on TU 204s for 170 passengers. COPA OPENS TWO ROUTES FROM PANAMA CITY Copa Airlines opened a new route to connect Panama City with the Peruvian city of Iquitos, whose itinerary will be of two weekly frequencies, Wednesdays and Saturdays, departing from Panama to Iquitos at 11:36 a.m. and returning at 14:59 p.m. On the other hand, Las Vegas has become the seventh U.S. destination with which Copa links
the Tocumen International Airport in Panama City.
JETBLUE ANNOUNCES FLIGHTS TO GRAND CAYMAN AND CARTAGENA DE INDIAS Operated with a fleet of A320s, starting November 15 JetBlue Airways will offer three weekly flights to Owen Roberts International Airport in Grand Cayman from New York-JFK (Thursdays and
Saturdays) and from the Boston Logan International (Saturdays). The company announced that it also plans to incorporate Cartagena de Indias starting November, with the option of traveling from New York-JFK to the Colombian Caribbean port city, three times a week. INTERJET CONNECTS MEXICO CITY WITH NEW YORK Interjet inaugurated a direct daily flight between Mexico City and New York. It departs from New York-JFK at 7:25 a.m., between Mondays and Fridays, and at 10:00 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; and on the return trip leaves from Mexico City’s airport at 4:40 p.m., arriving at JFK at 10:30 p.m.