Holguín hosts online event on tourism
- Written by Lourdes Pichs Rodríguez
- Published in Holguin
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The importance of Tourism in the Cuban economy and its performance as a bridge for collaboration between peoples were highlighted by Hugo Ramos, Cuban ambassador to Ireland, during his keynote address at the III International Symposium on Tourism Management, which runs from 26 to April 30, as part of the X International Scientific Conference of the University of Holguín.
In his online speech, the diplomat praised the characteristics of the Cuban destination distinguished by its cultural, historical and natural attributes and the safety that visitors can find in any region of the archipelago.
Referring to the times that the world is experiencing due to the pandemic, he pointed out the impact that COVID-19 has had on the European market particularly in Ireland, where tourist operations have decreased.
While addressing the impact of the pandemic on the leisure industry, Ernesto Batista, master in International Tourism from the University of Limerick, Ireland, said that at the end of 2019 this activity reported a moderate growth of 4.0 percent; However, between January and October 2020, international tourist arrivals fell by 70 percent. Some 142 million jobs closed and in the airline industry the losses were around 400 billion dollars.
Regarding the consequences of this global health problem for Cuba, he added that from January to May last year, only 43.8 percent of foreign visitors arrived to the country, so achieving the traditional influx of tourists to the different destinations of the archipelago will constitute a goal to materialize as soon as conditions allow it.
"Entities must rethink the way to position this Caribbean destination in the minds of customers and the content generated on social networks must show the changes that entities and tourist areas are conceiving, to face this new stage and increase the perception of security in the facilities”, he said.
In compliance with the meeting program, the first working session of Gestur 2021 addressed topics related to the use of social networks by Travel Agencies, the behavior of clients in the wedding and honeymoon segment and entrepreneurship in tourist entities, among others.
The event will also include the conferences Sustainable and Intelligent Tourist Destinations, Entrepreneurship in tourist entities, a challenge and need of our times; Tourist routes in cities declared urban destinations in the postCOVID-19 stage and Assessment of trends in information and communication technologies applied to tourism.
Gestur will conclude on the 29th after several days of extensive exchange between professionals in the industry from Argentina, China, Brazil, Mexico, Ireland, Malaysia and Cuba, who through virtual platforms have managed to carry out this important event, despite the epidemiological situation generated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
