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EVEN THOUGH COMPANIES REFUSED TO GIVE IN TO THE BITS REVOLUTION FOR A MIGHTY LONG TIME, TECHNOLOGY PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN ALL STAGES OF THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY, AN EVER-GROWING AND EVER-EXPANDING SOCIOECONOMIC ACTIVITY WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR 9 PERCENT OF THE WORLD’S GDP. HOW DOES THE TECHNOLOGY-TOURISM RELATIONSHIP WORK IN CUBA?

One of mankind’s biggest fears has always been to see technology control all of its processes instead of contributing to its wellbeing. Amid way too many research studies on this matter, differences in criteria still prevail as some people wonder whether a mishap like this could ever come to pass. The truth is that at least in this moment in history, technology chips in more and more each day to the development of many activities.
With the expansion of cell phones, the population is increasingly connected to the Internet. And all of tourism’s stages require connectivity: the selection of a travel destination, transportation, visits, accommodation. Therefore, companies rely on global distribution systems (GDS) –booking and reservation software that embrace several areas within the sector, such as airfares, hotels, car rentals and other services.
The change in both tools and platforms brought about the expansion in the use of computers, coupled with a different way of seeing tourism. It went from massive turnouts to customization, to such an extent that Google is now offering more advanced GPS services just to let hoteliers further exploit the promotion of their lodging properties.
In a country like Cuba, how is this phenomenon playing out?
Technology is also a major part of Cuba’s tourism because, quite naturally, companies are bound to adapt themselves to the competitive world scenario.
The management of air tickets sold by most airlines flying to Cuba is in the hands of Amadeus, the world’s leading company in this field. Amadeus also doles out hotel rooms through its GDS, either directly or by means of agreements with booking centrals and online travel agencies.
“International hotel chains, like Meliá and Accor, which have cut global deals with Amadeus, are joined by Cuban companies like Gran Caribe, Cubanacan and Islazul that have had close ties with Amadeus since 2008. And so does a handful of hotels, such as Saratoga by Habaguanex, the ones run by Canada’s Blue Diamond, and Hotel Palco, which do it through several call centers (CRS) linked to the European GDS,” says Enrique Salgado, marketing director of Amadeus IT Group’s Cuban branch.
Since 2011, Amadeus managed to round out the distribution cycle in Cuba by inking deals with different travel agencies: Havanatur S.A., Cubatur S.A., Viajes Cubanacan, Ecotur and San Cristóbal. According to Mr. Salgado, these agencies have increased their airfare volumes on a yearly basis, both for domestic and international flights, as well as the number of buses booked.
In the accommodation front, Airbnb’s presence in Cuba is paramount, a community market ready to be posted and discovered, with private homes ready for rental. By June 2016, as many as 100 million guests have used the worldwide platform. Quite recently in an exclusive interview with Caribbean News Digital, Airbnb’s regional manager for the Caribbean, Mikel Freemon, said her company is currently offering 8,000 private homes for rental on the island.
La Casa de Dulce Torres is advertised on Airbnb. Even though connectivity conditions actually dampen her management ability, she prefers this website to any other intermediary way. The reason for that? She can know her guests before they arrive. She’s been renting a part of her house since 2011, yet she didn’t make use of the website until 2013 when her business got steady.
Six months ago, Pedro Hernandez and Tereza Zubeldia, a couple of retirees living in Havana’s Vedado area, made up their minds to rent one of their bedrooms. Their daughters, who don’t live in Cuba, manage their accounts. According to the daughters, around 95 percent of the guests who stay at their parents’ learn about the offer on Airbnb. The remaining 5 percent is just by reference. The bottom line? The house is always rented.
Platforms like Revolico, Porlalivre and Cubísima, along with website directories, personal sites and ads posted on the social media push the promotion and advertisement of private homes. In this scenario, Cuban users lodged on Airbnb have a competitive edge because the prices allowed by the platform are much lower than the average fares Cuban hosts set up on their own.
Excelencias Travel, run by the Excelencias Group, is an online travel agency that has piled up tremendous experience in the use of lodging technologies. Since February 2015, the travel agency (www.excelenciastravel.com) has also been managing Alquiler Casa Cuba (www.alquilercasacuba.com), a booking website designed for private homes that lets users find houses and hostels, even mansions and deluxe homes scattered all across Cuba, in a quick and hassle-free fashion.
The travel experience Alquiler Casa Cuba offers, according to some reviews made by guests on TripAdvisor, includes fair prices coupled with close and friendly service from both the hosts and the trip coordinators and facilitators.
The fact that private companies and self-employed workers that use virtual platforms for accommodation are doing so well in the business makes people realize that technology does play a major role in Cuba’s travel and tourism processes. And conditions that will eventually get better and better with each passing year.
There are still a few restrictions to overcome, such as the fact that IATA’s billing and settlement plan (BSP) isn’t currently operating in Cuba for airlines flying to Cuba. But both companies and citizens always find loopholes and alternatives to have a say in the competition and be a part of this world of zeros and ones.

Sources: (UNWTO); ONEI; ECUMED; Memorias de INVATUR, Caribbean News Digital; TripAdvisor

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www.excelenciastravel.com / www.alquilercasacuba.com