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Social and Economical Impacts of Tourism

 

Because the demolition of socialism in Europe has impacted the economy of Cuba, Cuba began to rely on the aspect of tourism in order to improve their economy. As tourism played an increasing role in the economy, a large percentage of young people began to migrate to resort towns seeking employment in the tourism industry.^[25] This opened up many opportunities to the impoverished, unskilled families. Many of them working in menial jobs can end up earning more through tips than they can employed as professionals, thus creating an economic and social divide emerging in Cuba between those employed in the tourist industry and others.

Cuban Dependency on Tourism

The impact of tourism proved beneficial to Cuba, since it improved their fiscal situation. They relied so heavily on tourism that they created the 1997 Cuban Economic Resolution, which is a plan which separates certain finances so that a percentage of it goes toward improving and updated more tourist attractions to captivate more visitors. Their end goal was to achieve more than $2.6 million in income from tourism by the year 2000. 

In the end, tourism upgraded from being a side source of income to being a fundamental factor in building up the economy in Cuba.  Tourism subsidizes approximately 43% of Cuba’s funds today, as opposed to the 6% it earned back during the 1980s. Tourism Minister Ibrahim Ferradaz speculated, "in the last ten years, the sector multiplied its gross income eight-fold; the number of visitors multiplied by five, the number of rooms in tourist establishments tripled, and the number of jobs in the tourist sector doubled." Cuba’s redemption from their economic crisis is primarily due to the innovative strategy that was contrived in order to take advantage of Cuba’s natural resources to the appeal of foreigner.