Recommend November 2015 - (Page 12)
CUBA
Beachside at Grand Lucayan.
for
EVERYONE
caribbean
ed wetschler
In its 2014 Economic Impact Study, members of the United
States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) named Cuba one
of the top two "emerging" countries whose popularity would grow
in 2015. With hindsight, it's clear that those respondents hit the
bulls-eye. Indeed, Cuba is the most talked-about destination in the
Caribbean right now, notwithstanding the fact that even with the
recent thaw in diplomatic relations, U.S. citizens are still restricted
to 12 categories of travel.
Of course, the category that's accessible to the most people
is the fastest-growing category: the people-to-people program.
What's more, as tour operators continue to launch new packages
to Cuba, the demographics of Americans who are going there
keeps expanding. The market now ranges from retirees who have
time for longer vacations to strivers who demand trips lasting
less than a week, and from young people on limited budgets
to established couples who will spend upwards of five figures
for a 10-day trip. The variety of itineraries has expanded, too:
For example, Mayflower Tours now offers cruise-based trips,
Travcoa runs packages that emphasize cuisine, Globus is offering
an 11-day Spiritual Journey through Cuba, and so on. The only
thing not yet available is FIT trips for beach-and-beers travelers.
Will that be the next breakthrough? I put that and several other
questions to two companies whose people-to-people trips are
quite singular but for one aspect: They're enormously popular.
ABERCROMBIE & KENT/ANNETTE MOREJON
abercrombie & kent
Both Apple Vacations (top) and Abercrombie &
Kent (bottom) offer people-to-people programs to
Cuba that offer an in-depth look at the island.
12 november 2015
"We launched our first people-to-people program to Cuba
in 2011, after regulations were amended to allow this type
of travel," says Marianne McNulty, A&K's Cuba product
specialist. "There was a pent-up demand to experience
Cuba in an authentic way, through personal interactions with
the local people. Since then, we've seen steady growth, with
double the number of guests compared with last year."
The Cuba: People to People itinerary, a 10-day trip (from
$6,296 pp dbl) with 16 departures in 2016, features stays at the
Melia hotels in Havana and Remedios. The architectural tour of
Havana is led by an architect; the visit to a medical facility features
conversations with a Cuban physician; there's a private Buena
Vista Social Club-style concert and discussion with the musicians;
a talk about U.S.-Cuba relations by a former Cuban Foreign
Services scholar; an excursion to Las Terrazas eco-community;
and not only a beisbol game, but a chance to play a few innings.
That's immersive, all right.
"We initiated Cuba: Across the Island this year with five
departures," says McNulty. "Now there is considerable interest in
exploring more of the island than just the Havana area, so we have
extended the offering for 2016 to 12 departures."
When asked what makes A&K's trips distinctive, McNulty
says, "A&K developed its programs to enable guests to immerse
themselves in Cuban culture, exploring its architecture, agriculture,
music and cuisine through intimate, one-to-one exchanges with
local residents. Additionally, we have space reserved at the best
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend November 2015
Editor’s Notes
Hotel Desk: Hilton
Tour Talk: What’s New
Cuba for Everyone
Cruising Asia’s Waterways
AmaWaterways’ AmaDara
Why Vietnam Now!
Canada: Road Tripping Through Ontario
Cool Patagonia is a Hot Ticket
Manchester, England
The Art of Cooking
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