Tourism / Transport

Tourism was initially restricted to enclave resorts where tourists would be segregated from Cuban society, referred to as "enclave tourism" and "tourism apartheid". Contact between foreign visitors and ordinary Cubans were de facto illegal between 1992 and 1997. The rapid growth of tourism during the Special Period had widespread social and economic repercussions in Cuba, and led to speculation about the emergence of a two-tier economy.

Cuba has tripled its market share of Caribbean tourism in the last decade as a result of significant investment in tourism infrastructure, this growth rate is predicted to continue 1.9 million tourists visited Cuba in 2003, predominantly from Canada and the European Union, generating revenue of US$2.1 billion. Cuba recorded 2,688,000 international tourists in 2011, the third-highest figure in the Caribbean (behind the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico).

The medical tourism sector caters to thousands of European, Latin American, Canadian, and American consumers every year.

Allegations of widespread sex tourism are downplayed by the Cuban Justice minister. According to a Government of Canada travel advice website, "Cuba is actively working to prevent child sex tourism, and a number of tourists, including Canadians, have been convicted of offences related to the corruption of minors aged 16 and under. Prison sentences range from 7 to 25 years."

In mid-October, the United States lifted its embargo on Cuba, an embargo which lasted almost 58 years. The imposed sanctions made it one of the poorest countries in the world, but also one of the countries with the slowest and most limited internet access in the world . Access to the internet was controlled by the state which had a firm grip on what its citizens could and could not search for on the world-wide web. This was further impeded by the United States who encouraged companies and internet providers to enact reverse filtering on Cuba as part of the embargo, making it even harder for the citizens to gain access to some websites. So for those traveling to Cuba, a VPN is a necessity since a site you frequently use might be blocked in Cuba. It’s also a good idea to encrypt your data, so authorities don’t read your emails.

In 2012, before the sanctions were partially lifted, only about 5% of Cubans were able to get access to the web in their private homes, while the number of people with access to the internet in some form or another was 25%. Add to that the fact that Etecsa is the country’s only internet provider and is a state-owned company, you will get a sense why Cuba can so easily control the content of what people see and read. And, while sites like Facebook and Twitter are available to Cubans, sites of the opposition still remain blocked. Cuba closely monitors the access of human rights activists to the internet and other forms of communication. Getting hold of Cuban human rights activists remains a complicated task, especially when the government still keeps arresting people based on their political views.

Cubans have still managed to find a number of ways to circumvent the country’s restrictions, mostly by using USBs and VPNs, as well as other methods which the rest of the world never had to rely upon in order to freely use the internet. Those who were brave enough to oppose the government have decided to build their own version of the internet, called ‘street net’. This system was built using Ethernet cables and powerful Wi-Fi antennas which spanned over entire cities. Most people used this type of internet, intranet, to talk to each other and play video games online.

This is where VPN, or virtual private networks, come into play. They are the cheapest and most flexible solution not just for Cubans, but other countries as well, to gain unrestricted access to the internet. Most of them are either cheap, but some charge more for their service, and in turn offer special features which would otherwise be unavailable if you only used free VPN providers. However, as of now, there is still no way to fully know if the service of VPN is filtered, but like in the case of China, there are ways to overcome this type of filtering.

The VPN providers listed here are all available to be used by Cubans to gain complete access to the internet because they are based internationally instead of in Cuba, making the internet finally unrestricted and private.

VISA

Basic Requirements

Everyone wishing to enter Cuba is required to apply for a Cuba visa before being allowed entry. Should you wish to enter the country as a tourist, you will be required to apply for a tourist visa-card. A Cuba tourist visa-card is valid only for leisure or recreational purposes. It is not valid for other travel purposes.

Alternatively, applicants wishing to explore or engage in business transactions in Cuba will need a business visa.

Please note: To be involved in business operations in Cuba having entered the country with a tourist visa card is in violation of Cuban Immigration regulations.

Processing Times

The processing time for a Cuba visa can take as long as 4 weeks, but this is subject to change. A Cuba visa's processing time depends very much on the type of visa, the nationality of the person applying, the time of year and other variables. Therefore, it is advised that applicants start the application process well in advance of their scheduled trip.

Temporary Cuba Visas

Cuba Tourist Visa

Everyone wishing to enter Cuba as a Tourist is required to apply for a Tourist Visa-card. A tourist card is valid ONLY for leisure or recreational purposes. It is not valid for other travel purposes.

A Tourist Card is valid only for one entry within 180 days after the date of issue. It is valid for a 30 day stay in Cuba, extendable in Cuba for a further 30 days maximum.

Cuba Business Visa

To explore or engage in business transactions in Cuba, travellers would need a business visa. To be involved in business operations in Cuba having entered the country with a Tourist visa card is in violation of Cuban Immigration regulations.

There are two types of business visas:

Business visas to explore business possibilities in Cuba (A-7)
Business visas to engage in business operations or transactions in Cuba (D-7)

The visa to explore business opportunities in Cuba does not require a letter of invitation from a Cuban Company, but it requires provision of information to the Cuban Consulate on the purpose of the trip. With this visa travellers can contact Cuban business institutions or companies to hold preliminary meetings or state declarations of intention.

The visa to engage in business operations or transactions requires a letter of invitation from a Cuban Company or institution

Both types of business visas (A-7 and D-7) are issued for a maximum stay of 30 days in Cuba. Extensions of business visas must be requested to the Immigration Directorate in Cuba by the Cuban interlocutor or counterpart company.

Cuba Embassy Information

Embassy of Cuba
167 High Holborn
London
WC1V 6PA

Telephone: 020 7240 2488
Fax: 020 7836 2602
Website: http://www.cubaldn.com/