As the tourism industry gears up for its peak season, the Meliá Las Antillas hotel in the renowned Varadero beach area has sparked controversy. The hotel recently announced the establishment of a beach zone exclusively for German tourists. This move raises questions about the future management of Cuba's public beaches, a sensitive topic given the Revolutionary regime's historical stance against privatizing these natural areas.
The official newspaper Girón reported that the hotel's deputy general manager, Yoel Luis Hernández Lantigua, highlighted efforts to upgrade the hotel's infrastructure in a recent interview. These improvements include new umbrellas, sunbeds, and the renovation of various facilities. However, the announcement of a private beach area for German tourists, who reportedly have "special requirements," has drawn significant attention and criticism.
This exclusive section of the beach, recently praised as "the world's best" by the International Training Center for Beach Management and Certification (CIFPLAYAS) and the Federal University of Rio Grande, challenges the regime's rhetoric of maintaining a "strong stance against the privatization" of these areas. Traditionally deemed a heritage of all Cubans, beaches were to remain open and accessible to everyone, regardless of origin or nationality.
Cuba's beaches, key natural resources, were protected under public access policies to prevent "capitalism and tourist exploitation" from limiting local enjoyment. The new exclusivity for foreign visitors, particularly Germans, at a section of Meliá Las Antillas' beach seems to contradict this long-standing policy.
The Meliá Las Antillas, managed in partnership with Cubanacán and the Spanish company Meliá, aims to attract major tourist markets such as Russia, Canada, and Germany. The Cuban government recently acknowledged that it is far from reaching its tourism goals for the year, with only 2.4 million visitors arriving so far.