Tourism and Tobacco, Coupled with Economic Boom in Cuba
Cuba's tourist industry today has a strong link with its cuisine, especially faced with a discerning traveler, as industry experts discussed at a monthly analysis workshop meeting.
Known as Balcón Bayamanaco (aboriginal name) or Balcón del Habano, every month a group of experts tourism have a meeting to discuss the most important trends, especially taking into account a higher-income travelers and the link to Tobacco, reports Prensa Latina.
This meeting, initiated in 2007 at the Hotel Presidente in the capital, had its most recent meeting to assess the sustained growth of the recreational area, and its impact on the national economy.
Attendees indicated that Cuba currently has an appeal power of a number of hotel establishments to cater for the higher purchasing power segment.
The provider of ITM Ibero Markets Trust Group SA, David Varela, said the Balcón allows producers and distributors, of both Cuban and foreign, to introduce brands of beverages, liquors and other first class products to enrich the offer.
This meeting has as its main feature the participation of sommeliers, managers, entrepreneurs and representatives of product houses of both beverages and food, managers, bartenders, and cigar loving journalists and diplomats.
It also highlighted the role of local ITH company, importer, marketer and distributor to hotels and restaurants, of dry foods, beverages and frozen meats, fish, seafood and dairy.
Thet clarified that their representatives have been working for several years with organizations such as the Palacio de Convenciones, Cubanacan, Gran Caribe, Palmares, and Islazul, including travel companies in the country.
The Spanish Ibero Market Trust Inc. supplies ITH whiskeys, rums, drinks and wine from other countries, so that there is a wide variety to face the demands of tourists.
And it is at the Balcón where evaluate these combinations of cigars, as in the above meeting in May where they linked Scotch whiskeys Blended Cutty Sark and The Famous Grouse, the most sold in the United Kingdom.
For this combination they selected cigars Sancho Panza (medium strength, Corona Gigante) and Bolivar (an Extra Corona, a brand between medium and thick in size and strong strength.)
For his part, the deputy general manager of Hotel Presidente (of the Gran Caribe company), Carlos Jiménez Pérez, said the Balcón gave prestige to his installation, and it raises the professional level of sommeliers and bartenders, and strengthens the gastronomic culture of the island. (PL)
