My Passport has a Cuba Stamp - Patti Gaughan, CMP's Big Adventure

My Passport has a Cuba Stamp!

 

 

In July, I had the opportunity to travel to Cuba with Host Global Alliance on a fam trip. Our group included about 20 attendees (corporate, association, third party planners and various DMC representatives) plus our host DMC out of Texas, our Cuban tour company representative, guide and bus driver. We flew out of Miami and spent four days and three nights in Havana. We did not have time to visit any of the beach resorts on the island, so the notes in this article refer mostly to Havana. I apologize if some of my facts/information seems a little loose, I just want to provide a general overview based on the information I received during the trip and my personal thoughts and observations.

I didn’t really have any pre-trip expectations so I didn’t return with any great paradigm shifts. I went mostly to gain information and see what all the hubbub was about. At this point, most fam trips to Cuba showcase the island, provide an opportunity for provocative dialogue and make "thinking" people think. These trips are designed to start the information flow into the U.S. hospitality communities. Cuba is looking to become an incentive destination. I think for most corporate groups, it is about three-to-five years from being an incentive destination. However a couple of planners from our group are submitting RFPs and one is taking a group in 2017. Certain types of groups would enjoy travel to Cuba now. Since travel has been open to all other countries except the U.S., Cuba has an existing tourist industry made up of leisure travelers from Canada, Europe and Latin America.

I personally found the trip difficult. We had a packed agenda; it was very hot and we encountered quite a few challenges. In retrospect, I think I was overly tired before the trip, having just come off two other international programs. To the credit of our hosts and guides, we were able to overcome most of the challenges and still enjoy a great trip. In hindsight, I am glad we had the challenges. As a planner, I better understand possible issues that might arise and how they can be handled. I am better informed about necessary changes to my planning processes and how to manage attendee expectations. (This would be a must for a Cuba trip!)

We traveled on a charter flight out of Miami. We left the hotel about 8 a.m. to catch a noon flight that only takes 45 minutes. We arrived at the hotel at 4 p.m. (three hours later than anticipated.) The check-in and boarding process is mostly manual. The departure time was delayed almost two hours (time spent at the gate and on the runway). Our gate was in what appeared to be the underbelly of the Miami airport, so there were no real airport services. Upon arrival in Havana, we had a brief delay on the runway. We cleared customs in good time only to wait a very long time for our luggage. Apparently several flights arrived at the same time and it was a national holiday so airport staffing was an issue. The airport is pretty sparse, but we were led to small room referred to as the VIP lounge. Just as a side note—we did have our passports stamped. Until recently, if you traveled to Cuba as a U.S. citizen, you did not want to have that stamp for many reasons. I decided it was worth the risks that I still don’t quite understand.

The flight itself was interesting; I believed I used the term goat-rope. While we were sitting on the runway waiting to take off, people were up and about in the cabin, using restrooms and visiting. Once everyone was seated and we took off, the beverage cart quickly appeared, but those who hadn’t been able to use the restrooms on the runway literally climbed over those of us in seats to get around the cart. When we landed, people clapped and hooped and hollered and immediately jumped up and started opening overhead bins. It took quite a bit of stern corralling by the flight attendants to re-seat everyone until we arrived at our final resting place on the tarmac and the steps were in place. The nice Cuban people next to me explained that this behavior is normal, especially for Havana arrivals. For most travelers, this was their first time home. Many people had not seen their families for a long, long time. The impact of looser travel restrictions became quite evident when we finally exited the airport and saw the heartwarming crowds of anxious people and their welcome home signs. I witnessed many touching family reunions.

I descended the steps from the plane with a little trepidation. Once I took that last step onto the tarmac; there was no going back. I was stepping into a communist (correction—a socialist) country; what could happen, after all there is newly opened U.S. Embassy in Havana. I was a child of the Cold War and all of its propaganda that taught us to be fearful about Castro and what might happen to the U.S. because of Cuba’s relationship with the Soviet Union. There were all sorts of conspiracy theories and plans to eliminate Castro, not to mention a lot of bitterness from Cuban refugees still angry about their family wealth being stripped away. With the end of the Cold War, the passage of time and younger, more open-minded persons traveling to Cuba the old stigmas will quickly disappear and allow for more opportunities and good will for both Americans and Cubans.

Havana is the largest city in the Caribbean. It has commerce, manufacturing and an old town just like many other European cities. The city itself could be cleaner. I don't think it's particularly beautiful at this point in time, but I think it was beautiful will become so again. There hasn't been any inflow of cash or money to spend on the upkeep and maintenance. During our ride from the airport and throughout the trip, it became apparent that the infrastructure is lacking. Public spaces were not tidy and there were a lot of stray dogs and cats. A lot of the buildings looked bombed out and abandoned, but they aren't. It was explained to me that Havana is basically a giant tenement community. At one time it must have been quite a city with beautiful building full of gorgeous marble, wood carvings and iron works. All of the buildings, unless they were manufacturing sites or offices, have been subdivided and split into apartment dwellings. Each apartment has the basic necessities: a living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. There was evidence of some poverty and no signs of any wealth. Everyone seems economically equal. Although it has some of the appearances of a third-world country, it was far from it. Being a true example of socialism, everyone is well-educated, has a job, a home, good medical care with top-notch doctors and, access to a rich culture of performing arts.

After the revolution in the late 1950s, all of the wealth and property was taken by the "state" and reapportioned to all the people—at least in theory. Cuba and the Soviet Union became allies and Cuba became dependent upon the Soviet Union for its markets and military aid. The Soviets had a great influence on Cuba during those years. The state controlled the businesses, determined the education curriculum and discouraged the practice of organized religion. The collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s led to economic hardship in Cuba. Since the 1990s, Cuba has allowed the practice of religion and had to allow for some free enterprise to stimulate its economy. About 10-15% of all businesses is privately operated; most provide services (taxis, seamstresses, etc.) The bulk of the free enterprises are privately-owned restaurants often referred to as paladars. Havana is quickly becoming a "foodie" town.

Just because the outside of a building is in disrepair, doesn’t mean that the inside is in shambles. On several occasions, we were pleasantly surprised by the décor and renovations. We had to go through the renovations to get to the nice parts, but that was part of the adventure. The rebuilding is slow and the renovation process is apparently quite lengthy. Most renovations are financially supported by cash from relatives outside the country. The paladars must have some backing from foreign investors as their renovations are quite extensive and beautiful.

Upon our arrival, we participated in a meeting with the U.S. DMC and the Cuban travel company. We had an informative question and answer session. Everyone was very open about the state of things—what was good and where improvements were still needed. Havana has plans to upgrade the airport and much of its infrastructure to support U.S. traveler expectations. They claim to have the human resources necessary to support the planned upgrades and they are committed to improving and increasing services levels as well. It was explained that although travel restrictions have been loosened, there are still trade issues to be resolve. Some things have come to a standstill because only Congress can change those remaining trade issues.

That being said – two questions came to mind during my trip:

1. If everyone has a job and all are equal, why don’t they assign people and improve the public works? It doesn’t take a lot of resources to keep trash picked up and green spaces mowed and trimmed.

2. If they want to benefit from tourism, why weren’t the shops and museums open on the day the huge cruise ship came into port full of tourists with money to spend/give? I know it was a national holiday (three days long and celebrating Castro’s first failed coup.) and the shops and museums are state owned and state workers had to take the holiday. Why wouldn’t the state want those revenues?

Throughout the trip, we visited and toured 3-4 hotels. All of the hotels are state owned, leaving no room for sleeping-room rate negotiation The main one I wanted to see was closed to all visitors because of an unplanned visit by a head of state and security wouldn’t grant us access. According to Cuba, all the hotels we saw are four- and five-star hotels. I would say that they're more like three-star hotels. I give it that rating because of the quality of the furnishings and the inconsistent service levels. (Our hotel air conditioning was out for a good 12-14 hours one afternoon and night and the elevator went in and out of service.) Also for the most part, the workmanship was a little lacking (bad paint jobs, poorly patched walls, wrinkled carpets, etc.) This did surprise me because in most Caribbean and Latin American countries, the quality of workmanship and craftsmanship is usually outstanding. Also many of the hotels are not "brand" hotels with the exception of some Melia properties. All of the hotels had internet, AV & productions services and adequate banquet facilities/services.

Foreign visitors I have spoken to love the beach resorts and claim the beaches are gorgeous. I think there are some snorkeling and diving opportunities in the resort areas. Most are all-inclusive resorts and offer a more consistent product. There is a beach about 40 minutes from Havana, but most resorts are 2-3 hours from Havana. A group could do a couple of days in Havana and then move to a resort.

We dined in several different restaurants that can accommodate groups. Most were paladars and some state owned. (Breakfast buffet was included with our rooms and was nice.) The food prices seemed reasonable and there is some room for price negotiation at the paladars. The restaurants were nice, offered unique décor and were air conditioned. We were offered the same 3-4 entrée options for the first three or so meals (lobster, fish, chicken, beef or pork) and I didn’t feel we had any real Cuban fare during our trip. We also enjoyed a couple of meals at offsite venues, one being at the newly renovated opera house. We enjoyed a lunch and private concert by the symphony and opera singers. All the restaurants offered nice service levels.

We were treated to other typical tourist sights and sounds, including mojitos, mojitos and more mojitos. We enjoyed transfers in the old cars and in the coco taxis (little yellow taxis; see photos). We missed some museums and the cigar factory—again due to the national holiday closures. Cuba’s history was influenced by the Spaniards who first discovered and settled the island, and by the African slaves and peoples from neighboring Caribbean and Latin American countries. These blended together to created the rich and vivid culture Cuba enjoys today. We experienced this vibrant heritage through tours of the Old Town and the famous Colon Cemetery, sculptures in the squares, a plethora of artwork and handmade crafts in the markets, a rhythmic dance and percussion performance at performing arts school and a nightclub show by the renowned Buena Vista Social Club. My favorite was the Tropicana outdoor floor show. You really got a feel for the lush life of Havana in the '40s and ’50s.

One thing that is better in Cuba than in some western cultures is that all the people of Cuba have access to and can afford to enjoy the performing arts and culture. All have access to the symphony and ballet and ticket prices are reasonable. Whereas in the U.S. and western cultures sometimes the prices for those performances don't allow the majority of its citizens to enjoy or take advantage of those opportunities.

In planning for Cuba there are many questions you will need to ask. Double your lead time and allow plenty of extra planning time. You will need to use a U.S. DMC that will then work with a local Cuba tourism company. Things will be lost in translation, so it might be a good idea to have a Spanish speaker on your staff. As a U.S. citizen entering Cuba, extra documentation is required and you must fall under one the 12 authorized travel categories. Don't take for granted that venues have running water, toilet paper or soap in the bathrooms, carry a few tissues and hand sanitizer with you. The best time to travel to Cuba is January-April when it’s not so hot. At this time, you may not use U.S. credit cards in Cuba. You have to exchange dollars for the CUC (Cuban Convertible Peso) used by visitors. This is not to be confused with the CUP (Cuban Peso) use by Cuban people. You cannot exchange money in the U.S.; you can only exchange money in Cuba at the airport or hotel. The exchange rate is $1 US to 1CUC, there are taxes and fees. They get you coming and going so you will be lucky to get 80-85 CUC for $100 US. (The CUC to CUP is 1 to 25). It’s best to only exchange small amounts as you need it. If you happen to be exchanging Euros for CUC, the rate is better but they won’t take coins. At this point I would have to say if you're going for personal travel, the cruise ship option is great because you can go into the different ports and so you can see Havana, as well as some beach resorts. The ship would offer consistency in lodging, food and services.

When people say "I'm so excited to go to Cuba," my question to them is why? If they say, "I want to see it before it changes" or "I want to see the old cars," then I suggest they visit a city devastated by economic hardship or loss of manufacturing; for the cars, go to the Route 66 car show at the fairgrounds. If you think you will see Cuba the way the Rolling Stones or the Kardashians saw it—keep in mind that although it was reality TV it’s not the real Cuba. Havana is not luxurious and it’s not a "value" destination. If you are going for educational, historical or cultural reasons, then you won’t be disappointed! I hope Cuba benefits from all the good that tourism can bring without losing itself and its unique heritage to commercialism.

The Cubans are very proud of their culture and heritage. They are a warm and welcoming people. They are committed to socialism and seem to willingly support Castro. Although to us, their opportunities seem limited; they don't feel that they are oppressed. They have just had limited exposure to western cultures, as we know them, due to the lack of internet, TV/movies and some restrictions on literature and information. That said, everything is changing very quickly. From the time we received initial trip information until we arrived. Two cell phone companies had come into Cuba and there was public wifi/internet. Most people were able to access the internet on their computers or phones after they purchased a very inexpensive Wi-Fi access card that provided a couple of hours of time. In the few weeks since I have been home, some U.S. airlines have started commercial/charter flights into Cuba and Marriott and Starwood are planning ventures into Cuba. Visit www.marriott.com for more information. It will be interesting to see what our election brings and in 2018 Cuba will have a change in leadership as Raúl Castro will have to leave office. (Interestingly enough, they have a system in place that calls for the representatives from each district /state to meet and determine the next leader. There is speculation that the leader will be one of the representatives.) I am curious to see what and how things develop over the next few years.

Overall I enjoyed the trip and am glad that I took advantage of the opportunity. I met a lot of great people and learned much more than I expected. I am still not sure what all the hubbub is about. I may have to go back one day to get answers to all the questions I forgot to ask, but not too soon unless I run out of my delicious Cuban rum or cigars. If you want more information about the trip, vendor references or would like to see more photos, please feel free to contact me. I am also happy to put you in touch with other attendees if you want another opinion or perspective.

I have read a couple of other shore articles about trips to Cuba in various publications:

• Corporate & Incentive Travel magazine – the August 2016 issue had a couple of articles about our trip.

• The Kansas City Star – August 10, 2016 article "Why are we so afraid of Cuba?" by Lewis Diuguid.

• The Kansas City Star – August 24, 2016 article "Sipping Cuban rum in vibrant, vivid Havana" by Doug Frost.

Patti Gaughan, CMP
Meeting Management & Consulting
816-941-2122
pjogaughan@gmail.com