Spanish airlines Iberojet and World2Fly resumed their direct flights between Lisbon, Portugal, and Varadero, Cuba, this Saturday, according to official sources. Since launching this route in 2022, World2Fly, an airline associated with the hotel chain Iberostar focusing on vacation flights, has operated summer flights to the Matanzas tourist destination from the Portuguese capital.
This time, an Airbus A330-300 landed at Juan Gualberto Gómez International Airport, with a capacity for more than 380 passengers. World2Fly flights will be weekly, arriving in Cuba every Saturday at 7:45 PM, as reported by Liuba Quintero Ávila, head of the Ground Operations Unit of the airport, to the Cuban News Agency.
According to the Ministry of Tourism of Cuba and the Cuba Travel website, the airline added its fourth frequency to Havana from Madrid starting April 2, and will maintain these flights until October 22. Additionally, it will add a fifth frequency from June 20 to September 12.
Meanwhile, Iberojet also restarted its seasonal operations from Portugal this Saturday, which will continue until next October. The first flight carried 382 passengers to Varadero, and the trips will also be weekly.
At the end of last year, the Spanish company announced the cancellation of its flights to Havana starting January 2024; months earlier, it had already reported the suspension of its Madrid-Santiago de Cuba route from October due to "operational reasons." However, last April, Iberojet announced the resumption of its operations to Varadero from June 1 to October 5 and the opening of the Madrid-Santa Clara route from July 17 to September 4, with a weekly flight on Wednesdays.
Additionally, from June 25 to September 10, Iberojet/Avoris will cover the Lisbon to Santa Clara route with a weekly flight every Tuesday.
Challenges in Cuban Tourism
Cuban tourism is in desperate need of a substantial influx of travelers after years of declining visitor numbers and hotel occupancy rates. In 2023, the Cuban regime aimed to receive 3.5 million international tourists, but hopes were dashed when only 2.4 million arrived, falling short by over 30% of the government's projections.
In the first four months of this year, one million visitors arrived on the island, according to the Ministry of Tourism, which again targets over three million tourists for 2024. However, the outlook remains bleak due to continuous complaints about poor quality facilities, lack of food variety, and hygiene issues such as cockroaches in hotels.
A grim incident further raised alarms and questioned the quality and reliability of Cuban tourism services: the mishandling of repatriating the bodies of a Canadian and a Russian tourist who died while vacationing on the island.
Despite these setbacks, the Cuban government is betting on attracting Russian nationals to the country, estimating around 200,000 tourists this year. Additionally, at the beginning of this month, it announced a visa exemption for Chinese citizens with ordinary passports, aiming to boost tourist influx from that nation. A few days earlier, Air China, the flagship airline of China, resumed its Beijing-Havana flights with a stopover in Madrid.
FAQs about Flights to Varadero and Cuban Tourism
In light of the recent developments in Cuban tourism and the resumption of flights by World2Fly and Iberojet, here are some frequently asked questions and answers that may provide more insight.
What are the flight schedules for World2Fly and Iberojet to Varadero?
World2Fly flights will arrive in Varadero every Saturday at 7:45 PM. Iberojet will also operate weekly flights to Varadero, continuing until October.
How has the Cuban tourism industry been performing in recent years?
Cuban tourism has been struggling with declining visitor numbers and hotel occupancy rates. In 2023, the government fell short of its target of 3.5 million international tourists, receiving only 2.4 million.
What steps is the Cuban government taking to attract more tourists?
The Cuban government is focusing on attracting tourists from Russia and China. It has announced a visa exemption for Chinese citizens with ordinary passports and resumed Air China flights from Beijing to Havana with a stopover in Madrid.