With the recent announcement of Angolan carrier TAAG’s flights to Havana from Johannesburg (via Luanda), demand for Cuba from the South African market is set to rise.
Havana has a nuanced and romantic Latin history and is famous for its vintage cars, crumbling Spanish colonial buildings, rum and cigars. It also has an array of theatres, museums, nine Unesco World Heritage Sites, six biosphere reserves and 14 national parks.
Tourism is currently being spurred on by Cuba’s active destination campaign to promote the country’s many offerings. The Cuba flights connect well with the Johannesburg and Cape Town flights – presently the schedule shows roughly fortnightly flights to Havana.
Starting from November, the flights from Luanda to Havana will depart on the following Tuesdays – November 8, November 22, December 13, December 20 and January 10, 2023. The return flights will depart from Havana on the following Thursdays – November 10, November 24, December 15, December 22 and January 12, 2023. Thereafter, the schedule will be updated.
The flight from Cape Town departs at 15h00 and arrives in Luanda at 18h00. The Johannesburg outbound flight leaves at 16h30 on Tuesdays and arrives in Luanda at 19h00. The flight from Luanda to Havana connects well with these two flights, departing at 22h00 and arriving in Havana at 05h30 the following day.
The Thursday inbound flight from Cuba departs Havana at 11h30 and arrives in Luanda at 07h00 the following day. The connecting daily flight to Cape Town departs Luanda at 09h00, arriving in Cape Town at 14h00. The connecting flight from Luanda to Johannesburg departs at 10h00 and arrives in Joburg at 14h20.
Penny Bannerman, Owner of tour operator Curious Traveller, explained the vast and exotic appeal of Cuba to Travel News.
“Cuba is so cheap to visit, South Africans love it. In my opinion, it is the best destination in Latin America. It just has so much to offer. The beaches are simply amazing – absolutely pristine. In Cuba, they grow all their own food, so everything is homegrown and natural. There’s something for everyone: salsa dancing, fantastic music, vintage cars, beautiful scenery and even some of the best diving spots in the world.”
Many old buildings have been converted into hotels. Bannerman, who has been in the industry for 50 years, says she has not had one single complaint from a client about Cuba in the last 12-15 years.
“The guides are also just great, and they love South Africans! Not to mention the rooftop restaurants with Michelin-star chefs,” Bannerman explained, passionately describing the country overall as an extravaganza of experiences.
Finally, she pointed out that Cuba was not necessarily a shopping destination, but more for experiential travelling; a destination experience. Prior to COVID-19, Curious Traveller was receiving about four enquiries a day for Cuban itineraries.
Uniqueness of Cuba
The Cuban Ministry of Tourism recently launched its promotional campaign highlighting the nation’s uniqueness compared with other Caribbean destinations. The campaign slogan is ‘Cuba Única’, with emphasis on the uniqueness of the people residing in Cuba.
The message is that Cuba is hospitable and open. A spokesperson for the Ministry said: "Cuba is known for its beautiful beaches, excellent climate, its rum, its tobacco, its music, its dances, its people, and it is precisely its people who are the focus of the new international promotional campaign.
"We hope to reach a target of 2,5 million visitors in 2022," he concluded.
