The Russian government has announced that it will resume regular flights to Cuba on July 1, suspended since March 2022 due to European countries’ sanctions against Moscow after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, which would allow one of the main tourist shippers on the island, which is currently going through one of its worst crises.

Russian Vice-President Dmitry Chernyshenko, visiting Havana, announced the decision to resume regular air service between his country and the island, which would be provided by Aeroflot, whose executive director, Sergei Alexandrovski, explained that this route will be operated by Rossiya Airlines, its subsidiary, and ticketing will open within a week.

Last October, tour operator Pegas Touristik, in association with charter Nordwind Airlines, resumed flights to Varadero and Cayo Coco. With the Cuban government, Russia has also concluded agreements for the supply of cereals, oil and its derivatives, while coordinating the information work of Russian banks in the country.

Cuba, after recording 15% hotel occupancy last year against more than 75% of its competitors in the Dominican Republic and Cancun, faces specific hotel closures in the coming months, after over of the first two months of this 2023 the influx was again less than expected.

In January and February, Cuba received less than half a million tourists, which compromises the forecast of three million tourists for 2023, and that a figure which represents half of the figures accumulated in the same period in 2019, while in the other major Caribbean destinations, such as Cancun or Punta Cana, the pre-pandemic figures are already exceeded, as has been revealed REPORTUR.mx (Cuba filled 15% of its beds compared to 75% in Cancun and the Dominican Republic).

It should also be recalled that the Westjet group has finalized the acquisition of Sunwing Vacations and Sunwing Airlines, initially announced in March 2022, and which should have a notable impact on Cuban tourism since it is the main international carrier to the island.

Sunwing Vacations and Sunwing Airlines, which were 51% owned by Stephen Hunter and 49% by Tui, maintained an excellent connection with Cuba as their same owner was also the manager of the second largest number of hotel rooms on the island. after Meliá, mainly through brands such as Memories, which stimulated the establishment of flights to fill its accommodation floor.

Meliá, for its part, has more than 30 hotels in Cuba and is the chain with the most presence on the island, followed by the Canadian Sunwing with brands such as Memories and Royalton, and in third position with the most rooms is Iberostar (Westjet completes Sunwing purchase with Cuba uncertainty).