Faculty & Research

Hospitality Leadership Through Learning

Cuba at the Crossroads: The Role of the United States Hospitality Industry in Cuban Tourism Initiatives

Vol 48 No 4
By: Sergei Kruschchev, Tony L. Henthorne and Michael S. LaTour

Executive Summary: The longstanding U.S. embargo on travel to Cuba has made life difficult for the Cuban people without achieving its stated purpose of regime change. Supported for many years by the erstwhile Soviet Union, Cuba turned to tourism as means for earning foreign exchange after the U.S.S.R. imploded. Tourism has afforded a means for many Cubans to improve their lot, especially when their jobs allow them to collect U.S. dollars, which are a prized currency on the island. Operators from several nations are a part of Cuba's tourism industry, which is second-largest in the Caribbean and chiefly attracts travelers from Canada and Europe. Left out of the island's tourism ventures are U.S.-based chains and operators, who would benefit from being able to participate in Cuba's growing tourism industry. Given the certainty that President Fidel Castro will not return to power, the moment is ripe for American tourist interests to seek their opportunity to do business in Cuba. A particular benefit of tourism joint ventures would be restoration of trust between the peoples of Cuba and America, a trust that has been impeded by political activities on the part of both governments.

Your Comments Please

If this Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly Article made a positive impact on your management approach or business operations, we welcome your commentary. We would like to post your comments on our website. Submit your comments to mlp1@sha.cornell.edu.

To view the whole article, please click on the link below.

Cuba at the Crossroads: The Role of the United States Hospitality Industry in Cuban Tourism Initiatives By: Sergei Kruschchev, Tony L. Henthorne and Michael S. LaTour

If you have trouble downloading a report, and are able to install software on your computer, try upgrading to the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader to see if that allows you to read it.