During the months of July and August —coinciding with the summer season— the presence of tourists increases, particularly in the city of Trinidad. To the offers of sun and beach are added the attractions of its built heritage, traditions and cultural values ​​that are gradually awakening after the parenthesis imposed by the pandemic.

National and foreign visitors recognize the attractions of the city of Trinidad, where accommodation services and other offers are recovered. Photo: Ana Martha Panadés/Escambray.

From the Delegation of the Ministry of Tourism (Mintur) in Sancti Spíritus, management behavior is monitored. “In the hotel facilities that provide services today, mostly located in the southern town, there is an ascending line in the arrival of vacationers since the reopening in mid-November 2021,” Ana Luisa Borges González, Territorial specialist, commented to Escambray. Policy that attends the commercial area.

At the forefront of the tourist operation in the state sector are the hotels belonging to the Trinidad-City Complex, including Las Cuevas, La Ronda and La Calesa, which reach more than 50 percent occupancy during this vacation stage; while the Iberostar Heritage Grand Trinidad and the Mystique La Popa, both with a Five Star category, also increased the number of guests.

The Hotel Memories Trinidad in the Ancón Peninsula achieves high rates of occupancy and customer satisfaction, particularly in the national market. Photo: Juan Carlos Naranjo.

In the Ancón Peninsula, the Memories Trinidad del Mar is positioned among the best 20 hotels according to the tourist site TripAdvisor. The installation managed by the Blue Diamond Chain enjoys the preference of the national market with high levels of customer satisfaction.

According to Mayelín Ferrer Espinosa, delegate of Cubanacán in Sancti Spíritus, the positive indicators are the result of the work carried out in the commercial area with travel agencies and tour operators, which recognize the quality standards in tourist services.

“In the summer, the main issuing markets include Spain, France, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy, with which all the indicators are exceeded. The most important challenge is to achieve stability and variety in the supplies to meet the expectations of the guests”, added the official.

The non-state sector is also warming up and 1,119 private businesses in the province updated their licenses, now as hostels with accommodation and food services. According to the commercial specialist of the Mintur, 115,386 tourists/day have spent the night in rental houses; and of this figure, just over 1,000 are Cubans who bet on one of the most beautiful destinations on the island.

In the summer months the arrival of tourists to Trinidad has grown, among the most beautiful destinations on the island. Photo: Ana Martha Panadés/Escambray.

During the stage, improvements have been made in the rooms and services, in addition to reviving the gardening of the hotel plant and beach areas. “We are working towards the next high season, in which favorable results are expected from the incorporation and stability of flights from Europe, with which new options and circuits can be added to tourist operations,” said Ferrer Espinosa.

(Taken from Escambray)

Its privileged location has made the area the perfect destination for circuit tourism, a modality in which Cuba is expanding, thanks to the variety of heritage cities throughout the country that can be visited.

Since its founding in 1514 as the Villa de la Santísima Trinidad, the region was an important center of the island’s sugar industry. Its plantations, mills, towers, boilers, mansions, and other constructions related to the sugar cane economy dotted the area, to become cultural and historical attractions today.

A JOINT EFFORT

This past year, according to Reiner Rendón Fernández, Ministry of Tourism (Mintur) representative in the province of Sancti Spíritus, 641,000 tourists visited the region, making for 1.85 million tourist-days considering both the state and private sectors together.

(Granma)

Its privileged location has made the area the perfect destination for circuit tourism, a modality in which Cuba is expanding, thanks to the variety of heritage cities throughout the country that can be visited.

Since its founding in 1514 as the Villa de la Santísima Trinidad, the region was an important center of the island’s sugar industry. Its plantations, mills, towers, boilers, mansions, and other constructions related to the sugar cane economy dotted the area, to become cultural and historical attractions today.

A JOINT EFFORT

This past year, according to Reiner Rendón Fernández, Ministry of Tourism (Mintur) representative in the province of Sancti Spíritus, 641,000 tourists visited the region, making for 1.85 million tourist-days considering both the state and private sectors together.

Photo: Roberto Suárez
In this sense, the area is a national reference, having been able to link the two management forms harmoniously, both participating in all types of activities. More than a thousand contracts have been signed between the private sector and state travel agencies, and more than 100 between these agencies and private restaurants.

“To the degree that tourism expands, non-state activities increase in the area. Sancti Spíritus today has more than 3,015 private rooms, and the vast majority are in the city of Trinidad. Likewise, among the 185 restaurants in the province, 99 are private (popularly known as paladares),” Rendón explained.

Tourism is multi-sectorial and the participation of all is essential to be able to function effectively, the Mintur representative said, noting that many are involved, sharing this interest. Transportation providers and those linked to art and culture stand out among the many partners in the province.

The population participates actively in the leisure industry. This last year, 404,000 tourists stayed in private hostels here. This was achieved, however, with the support of products supplied by the extra-hotel state enterprise group Palmares.

“Outstanding among these are cafes and some 18 restaurants like the Jigüe, a franchise of Bodeguita del Medio, another Floridita, and a Yesterday Club. Currently, Palmares facilities have gained ground in the market and around 200,000 more tourists are added every year,” Rendón reported.

LONG TERM INVESTMENT

Trinidad is a cultural city, set among mountains, with the sea to enjoy as well. Its housing stock is well preserved in its original, heritage condition and all thanks to the efforts of many generations of residents, for centuries.

Fundamental to continuing efforts to preserve all the area’s assets is work as part of the Economic and Social Development Plan through 2030, being implemented in Sancti Spíritus. According to Rendón Fernández, work will begin this coming year to update the tourist destinations of Topes de Collantes, and the cities of Sancti Spíritus and Yaguajay.

Photo: Roberto Suárez
Likewise, relevant to tourist activity is the current Territorial and Urban Land Use Plan, which includes development of Fomento, a town located in the western part of the province’s central region. The city is looking to strengthen nature tourism in the area with excursions to the Escambray or Guamuhaya mountains, and promoting the region’s history with visits to one of the camps used by Che Guevara during the revolutionary war.

“This 2018, being completed in the province are 100 rooms; the Santa Ana complex is being developed, including a brewery; two plantation mansions that will have a lodging capacity of seven are being finished; and work is beginning on the Meliá Trinidad Hotel, which will have 400 rooms. This past June, work began on another 500 rooms that will be ready by the end of 2020,” the Mintur representative added.

Planned for the Ancón beach area are another 102 rooms in the so-called Brazilian cabins, and at the end of next year, work will begin on a 100-room hotel in the well-known Cuartel de Dragones, a Spanish colonial cavalry garrison, among the best preserved in the Americas.

The development plan also projects beginning work in the city of Sancti Spíritus, the second half of the year, including a 12-room colonial hotel in the city’s central historic district. Investment projects are also foreseen at the Plaza Hotel and the Don Florencio Hostel.

“The entire plan will allow that by 2030 we have 20,000 rooms in the province, of which 15,000 with be in state facilities, and some 5,000 in the private sector. We likewise have a golf course plan (two 18-hole courses), associated with a residential complex of 2,500 rooms.

“In terms of developing the nautical area, work is underway to increase berths at the Marina to 200. And foreseen next is the creation of other marinas, among them those conceived for the Boca area and Casilda Port, where the Ministry of Transportation will make important investments these next few years, to improve the cruise terminal,” the interviewee explained.

BETTER SERVICES

As a province, Sancti Spíritus has made a variety of investments in different sectors to allow for development in tourism, while preserving historic districts, heritage sites, and the region’s natural beauty. The non-state sector has been strengthened as well, and harmony achieved between these establishments and those of state enterprises.

Work is currently underway in different tourist destinations to improve the quality of services even more. While the opinions of experts and visitors alike confirm the good work being done, training to advance the sector continues.

As part of the Development Plan through 2030, work is projected to address the water supply, electrical energy, communications, and industrialization in the province. As positive results gradually become visible, notable is the example of agriculture, with progress being made in meeting the demand for food.

Within these long term plans, Trinidad continues to be one of the most important tourist destinations. In addition to its natural attractions and historic buildings, to be enjoyed here are the traditions, customs, and history that recently won the Trinidad the designation as a World Craft City, given the value of its artisan creations. A perfect blend where visitors can find fun, rest, and knowledge.

(Granma)