Expert underscores visa-free impacts for Chinese tourists in Cuba

Cuba's announcement of a visa exemption for Chinese tourists will increase exchanges and strengthen bilateral relations in several sectors, a specialized source said on Tuesday.

In an interview with Prensa Latina, Jiang Shixue, a professor at the Sichuan International Studies University in southern China, described Cuba’s decision as definitive.

According to the analyst, the measure favors even more economic and commercial ties while encouraging Chinese citizens to visit Cuba, “which is rich in tourist resources and famous for its natural beauty and historic sites.”

For the researcher, the visa exemption will result in an increasing number of trips to Cuba at a time when the direct flights between Beijing and Havana will be resumed soon.

During the closing ceremony of the International Tourism Fair, FITCuba 2024, Tourism Minister Juan Carlos García informed that Chinese citizens with ordinary passports might visit Cuba without a visa.

After the measure was announced, Chinese travel platforms registered an increase of more than 40 percent in searches for air tickets and hotels in Cuba compared to the previous day.

Air China’s direct Beijing-Havana flights, with a stopover in Madrid, are already available on Qunar’s website and will start on May 17.