Photo: Agencia de Viajes Ecotur.

In keeping with the significance that the country attributes to this industry, the Science, Technology and Innovation Sectorial Program aims to accompany, based on scientific research, the sector’s development strategy, the sustainable use of resources, the design of new products, increasing the quality and efficiency of tourism management, accelerating the incorporation of new technologies, and guaranteeing accurate information in effective decision-making, José R. Daniel Alonso, Director General of Development of the Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR), explained to TTC.

He stressed that the application of science, technology and innovation can provide solutions in the management of tourism services in the post-pandemic context, and with a view to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda; an opinion ratified by Ramón Pomes, head of the Sectorial Program, who considers that this initiative can contribute to increase the tourist competitiveness of the destination.

Endorsed by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, and the Technical Advisory Council of MINTUR, the Program foresees, in the 2022-2025 period, the execution of projects that promote an increase in tourist spending and a gradual increase in average stays; the generation of productive chains and the sustainable use of the country’s natural and anthropic resources; characterizing the source markets; studying the opportunities to boost the modalities of health, nature, culture, events and incentives tourism, and others; introducing the principles of local development and competitiveness criteria as foundations of the work of entities, modalities and destinations based on the training of tourism-related actors: companies, organizations, local governments, entrepreneurs, community, among others.

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Sustainable and smart destinations

Cuba has a privileged nature, therefore it is a priority to establish public policies, norms and sectorial procedures for the development and/or regulation of the operation of sustainable tourism products, said Daniel Alonso.

In this sense, Ramón Pomes affirmed that “Today tourists are more susceptible to the sustainability and maintenance of the tourism product, therefore Program-associated results are expected to contribute to the achievement of both objectives.”

Moreover, the projects that make up the Sectorial Program will make it possible to identify the technologies to be introduced in the sector according to international practices and the Cuban reality, while contributing to the development and assessment of “Smart Destinations,” which, as the researcher said, go beyond connectivity, and involve the use of Information and Communication Technologies for both trip planning and, once at the destination, the management of services from mobile devices. In this context, the Varadero beach resort is set to become the first Cuban smart destination.

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Smart strategy

According to the interviewees, the Sectorial Program has had a satisfactory reception, both by the sector’s entities as well as by Central State Administration Organizations, provincial and territorial governments, and the country has the qualified human potential necessary for its execution.

“We are currently advising the projects that respond to the productive transformation and international insertion Macroprogram, in which science and innovation can contribute based on their management, referring to the strategy for the export of medical services, health, wellness and quality of life tourism, and the development of the non-hotel tourism product as a complement to accommodation, accompanied by the non-state sector and local development,” stressed the General Director of Development of MINTUR.

“The Program will allow obtaining results that will regain the relevant role of the sector in contributing to the country’s economy and also contribute to the preservation of the environment and compliance with the guidelines of the Tarea Vida environmental task.”

“The main challenge is to make the industry more resilient to the impact of climate change in the short and medium term. With this first Sectorial Program we intend to set a precedent for the development of similar initiatives that will contribute to stimulate and strengthen the activity of Science, Technology and Innovation in Cuban tourism.”