Renewed interest in travel to Cuba expands beyond the beaches and historic Havana

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At long last, tourism is back in Cuba. New data shows a 104% annual increase in international arrivals to the Caribbean island, a significant turnaround after an alarming sluggish post-pandemic travel recovery.

But even more surprising is where all these new visitors to Cuba are headed. It’s not the island’s beautiful beaches or historic Havana. Pioneers in the luxury travel space like Abercrombie & Kent lead the way with brand-new experiences aimed at the heart of Cuba. This new trend of digging a little deeper marks a transformation in tourism to the island that locals and experts know has been a long time coming.

Travel to Cuba

Among candy-colored vintage cars and the faded glory of baroque 19th- and 20th-century architecture are images of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro on billboards, office buildings, and bus stops, telling of the victory of the Cuban Revolution.

This well-worn, almost inescapable tourist path has long been the norm for visitors to Cuba, and that has very much been by design.

Canadian visitors escaping the frozen north know Cuba as a beach destination with affordable, all-inclusive resorts in Varadero, come Cold War or revolution. Though Americans can travel to Cuba legally, access to the beaches remains a sticky political topic.

Cuba sits at the intersection of two recent travel trends: the post-pandemic resurgence of the “bucket list” and younger generations’ interest in experiential travel, less centered on the material and more focused on memory-making and relishing moments.

American Express Travel’s 2023 Global Travel Trends report says 68% of travelers pride themselves on finding lesser-known vacation destinations.

Cuba’s further-afield destinations, like the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Trinidad and culturally rich central Cuban cities like Camagüey, increasingly climb atop travelers’ Cuba itineraries.

For everyone from budget backpackers to luxury travelers, it’s an opportunity to pull back the veil — or, more accurately, the Iron Curtain — and discover what Cuba really has to offer.

Abercrombie & Kent to Cuba

In October, luxury travel leaders Abercrombie & Kent return to Cuba with an immersive, new small group journey that visits many of Cuba’s most desirable destinations. The brand’s Cuba: People, Art & Culture trip invites guests on a 10-day journey to discover the riches of an island long considered off-limits.

“We’re very excited to be returning to Cuba, a multifaceted island just 90 miles from the U.S., but offering a rich history and distinctive culture that very few Americans have experienced firsthand,” explains Stefanie Schmudde, Senior Vice President of Global Product Strategy at Abercrombie & Kent.

“We have developed a completely new itinerary that starts in Camagüey, the cultural soul of Cuba bursting with a lively art scene, then on to Trinidad and Cienfuegos, historical centers of the sugar cane, tobacco and coffee trades, Santa Clara, a historic turning point of the Cuban Revolution, and finally ending in Havana, where guests can explore on their own while staying in the heart of Old Havana.”

The journey delves deep into the island’s fascinating yet complex cultural, economic, and political history, leaving travelers feeling like they know the country inside and out. Itinerary highlights include insightful chats with a former Cuban diplomat, digging into U.S.-Cuba relations, past and present.

Guided tours explore Havana’s hidden artistic side. Expert-curated rum and cigar pairings dig into island history and tobacco lore, like Che Guevara’s honey-coated cigars.

The small group journey is limited to just 18 travelers to keep experiences intimate and personal. An Abercrombie & Kent English-speaking Resident Tour Director and local guides accompany groups at every step, coordinating every detail from arrival to departure.

The experience includes luxury touches that past clients know well: Traveller’s Valet, complimentary mid-journey laundry service, and Travelling Bell Boy service, which transfers luggage between accommodations.

Legal Travel to Cuba

Contrary to popular belief, most Americans have had access to Cuba for almost a decade. Abercrombie & Kent’s journeys to Cuba fully comply with former president Barack Obama’s “Support for the Cuban People” travel regulations.

While American travelers don’t have to visit Cuba in groups to maintain legality, doing so sidesteps Cold War regulations that complicate travel planning, such as making hotel reservations and getting currency in Cuba.

Instead of navigating arcane rules and regulations, visitors can sit back and enjoy the island, mojito in hand, whether at the beach or in the newly trending destinations that intrepid travelers are just starting to catch on to.

This article was produced by Media Decision and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.

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