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Opinion Article Sales & Marketing

Cuba’s Future Hospitality and Tourism Business: Opportunities and Obstacles

Executive Summary: Resumption of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba may open opportunities for hospitality and tourism industry investors in the island, which is the largest in the Caribbean. Although the U.S. economic embargo continues (and can only be removed by an act of Congress), executive actions could ease some travel and trade restrictions.

Miranda Kitterlin-LynchJohn ThomasDaymaris Lorenzo
By Miranda Kitterlin-Lynch, John Thomas, and Daymaris Lorenzo
Cuba

Executive Summary: Resumption of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba may open opportunities for hospitality and tourism industry investors in the island, which is the largest in the Caribbean. Although the U.S. economic embargo continues (and can only be removed by an act of Congress), executive actions could ease some travel and trade restrictions. Although Cuba offers considerable potential for hospitality and tourism investors, economic, legal, and practical questions and barriers remain, starting with the central control maintained by the Cuban government. Foreign hospitality and tourism companies seeking to do business in Cuba must navigate the requirements of the Cuban authorities, while operating in the shadow of the U.S. embargo. The following four issues may hamper international investors: (1) finance and banking availability is lacking; (2) the Cuban government must be a partner in every foreign enterprise; (3) labor availability and terms are controlled by the government; and (4) the nation lacks credible dispute resolution entities (courts or arbitration).

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Sales & Marketing Caribbean Cuba
Miranda Kitterlin-Lynch
Miranda Kitterlin-Lynch
Assistant Professor, CHR

Miranda Kitterlin-Lynch, Ph.D., is an assistant professor, Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Florida International University, where she teaches graduate level hospitality management courses. She received her doctoral degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

John Thomas
John Thomas
Assistant Professor, CHR

John H. Thomas. J.D., is an assistant professor at the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Florida International University, Miami, Florida.

Daymaris Lorenzo
Daymaris Lorenzo
Master’s Degree student, CHR

Daymaris Lorenzo is a master’s degree student at the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Florida International University. She is a native of Cuba who received her Licenciatura en Turismo (equivalent of a bachelor’s degree) from the University of Havana, where she also completed post graduate classes and subsequently taught as a professor for three years.

CHR
School-University

The Cornell Institute for Hospitality Labor and Employment Relations was established in 2013 as a platform for students, employers, employees, unions, and their advocates involved in the hospitality industry. The institute's mission is to support educational programs, sponsor and disseminate research, and hold conferences and roundtables dedicated to modernizing labor and employment relations, analyzing labor and employment law, and improving...

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