Who is not able to admire the beauty of an emerald sea and a white and fine sand like flour? Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, who transcribed the journal aboard Christopher Columbus From his first trip to the New World, thus defined the arrival in Cuba del Genés the 27 October 1492: “The Admiral says that never beautiful thing he saw, full of trees, all fenced the river, beautiful and green and diverse of ours, With flowers and with its fruit, each in their own way. Many birds and little birds that sang very sweetly (…) Says that is the island the most beautiful that eyes have seen, Full of very good ports and deep rivers, And the sea that seemed that it should never be raised because the beach grass reached almost water, which does not usually get where the sea is brave ".
The description, that could serve 500 years later as a tourist claim of the island, Keep a good part of truth, Although the passing of the years, especially of the last decade, has loaded the statement of nuances. Cuba It is one of the main tourist destinations of Caribbean, In addition to the safest. But this is sometimes something that doesn't matter much, Especially when vacations are based on toast in a walled enclosure: The whole inclusive one.
Who is not able to admire the beauty of an emerald sea and a white and fine sand like flour?
The pearl of the Antilles has several nuclei based on this tourism that attracts thousands of people every year. Varadero, The northern keys, South Long Cay and Guardalavaca They belong to that category that has its own airfields and in which to enjoy for a week, Flight included, has very low prices. In exchange, The tourist will not leave the macrocomplex in the ten days that he will enjoy the sun, of food and alcohol.
I didn't believe this until I saw the airport tracks on the sea where direct flights from Canada and Argentina arrive; one -day excursions ads Havana; To the Canadians carrying their liter thermos with beer and rum so as not to have to get up many times from the loupe and I began to suspect that there were people who did not know they were in Cuba: One does not go on vacation to Cuba, but to Varadero; Neither Mexico, but a Cancun; Nor to the Dominican Republic, but a Cana tip. The specific destiny as its own universe.
The tourist will not leave the macrocomplex in the ten days that he will enjoy the sun, of food and alcohol. The specific destiny as its own universe
So far, Nothing but does not concern each one towards this type of tourism of which I have been on time (mea culpa)... if it were not for the consequences that this new formula entails, both in the environmental and social aspect. And I checked this a few months ago in the presentation of the book The New Gold Fever. The other cities of tourism in the Caribbean (Varadero, Bavaro-Punta Cana) In the Faculty of Geography of the University of Havana, carried out by a team from the University of the Balearic Islands.
In the desire to achieve economic growth, There are countries that attract investment at any social cost. Mass tourism sits in beautiful unspoilt spots, reason why the impact of the development of the economic activity is immense in the natural environment: Fauna expulsion, Exaggerated pressure on natural resources or destruction of the coast with the consequent deviation of currents and its future destruction of sand. To this is added the fact that the companies that exploit the business are multinational, and that the constructions, Due to climate benefits, They are simple and bad. Yet, A complex of these characteristics takes to amortized, attention, Around a year! Ie, After a few years, When the hotel company in question has already done business, You can leave the place with a trail of immense benefits after you.
Mass tourism sits in beautiful unspoilt spots, So the impact is immense in the natural environment
There are also economic benefits for the local population, that achieve a job in hotels; And their population spends that money, So they move the local economy. But, In the long term, The consequences are catastrophic, Leaving the devastated place, Without natural diversity and without options to recover space, neither for personal or professional activities. This was also discussed in the presentation of the study, since it is already happening in the Dominican Republic, It was said.
The case of Cuba is something special, Because it is in recent years when this tourist potential is being developed more that seemed alien to a different political system. Aside from Varadero, History Tourist Destination, The other sun and beach nuclei are being developed since the year 2000. An example of the negative impact of this sector is, eg, the Cayo Santa María, An island connected to Earth through a road, "The Pedraplén", the 27 kilometers with hardly bridges. Goodbye and flamenco goodbye, and welcome stagnant waters and asphyxiation of vegetation.
Goodbye and flamenco goodbye, and welcome stagnant waters and asphyxiation of vegetation
Behind every seemingly innocent performance, How to spend a few days on a beach, They are operating a series of often counterproductive factors. And this is where the concept of sustainable tourism comes into play, Based on respect for cultural and environmental diversity and maintain the balance of ecosystems despite the humanity of the human being.
In Cuba there are still little exploited places, And that is where tourists barely look out. For better or worse, The country is planning more tourist foci on the island, with golf courses included: Investment must be attracted. But you have to remember that the tourist offers of this country are extremely defined, So any manifestation of spontaneity loses meaning. I will never understand why tourist circuits offer six dollars mojitos in La Bodeguita del Medio, where the worst mojitos of the city serve and nothing keeps authentic.
In Cuba there are still little exploited places, And that is where tourists barely look out
Another of those manifestations that feed the perversion of tourism is symbolized by a recent fact, When I received a visit. I recommended that they go to the house-museum of Hemingway, So they asked at the hotel how to get there. The only solution they gave them was to take a taxi, that charged them 35 U.S. dollars. When I told them on the phone that you could reach this municipality of Havana by bus or in shared taxi, At ridiculous prices, The hotel receptionist said it was impossible. Well: Finally, each dollar were each, taking the taxi shared to 200 meters from the hotel. This is the metaphor of tourism in Cuba.
I do not know anyone who does not come from knowing the country without regretting those Trilladic Routes of Tourism
I do not know anyone who does not come from knowing the country without regretting those Trilladic Routes of Tourism. Cuba could also encourage the richness of its values, of his pride, of his generosity, of his music beyond the sound that is played in the bars for tourists, of its religious variety, its history, etc.. I think there are few countries where a large part of living tourism so alien to the reality of a country ... so fertile in all areas. I never liked tourism. An exercise to consider: travel is also an art.
