The meeting was held at the House of Chinese Arts and Traditions in the Cuban capital, as part of the program of commemorative activities for the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Cuba.

The Dean of the Faculty of Tourism at the University of Havana, Lisandra Torres, explained that, under a collaboration agreement between her academic institution and Chinatown, work has been done on how to enhance the value of the area's numerous resources to leverage them as a tourist offering.

"We are developing an inventory of all the heritage and cultural resources; that is, both the material and immaterial ones that Chinatown possesses," she stated.

The dean added that based on this inventory, the next step will be to design tourist products and experiences that contribute to their optimal use and diversify the local tourist offer.

According to Torres, the goal will be to attract both national and foreign visitors and, specifically, the Chinese tourists who visit Havana.

In this endeavor, the Dean of the Faculty of Tourism identified several challenges, including achieving proper synergy with the Havana City Government and travel and tourism agencies, once a sustainable tourism management model for Chinatown has been designed.

"The offer can include historical routes, thematic classes, gastronomic experiences, traditional dances, the tea ceremony, among many other attractions," detailed Torres.

She also noted that this project aims to ensure that when tourists visit Havana's Chinatown, they understand "how the Chinese immigrants influenced Cuban culture and the reason for the close friendship between the peoples of two geographically distant countries."

"Like the Chinatowns in other cities in the Americas, Havana's has many interesting things to show and a lot of history," said Torres.

For her part, the director of Chinatown, Teresa María Li, highlighted the work they do as promoters and defenders of Asian traditions in Cuba, in an effort to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of the Chinese immigrants who arrived and settled in the Havana enclave many years ago.

The Chinese community was established in Cuba more than 170 years ago, spreading across the national territory.

Their presence was especially notable in Havana, where it is estimated that between 1930 and 1940, between 30,000 and 40,000 people of this descent resided, primarily concentrated in Chinatown.

In line with these historical ties, Cuban authorities have reinforced their commitment to capturing the Chinese tourism market.

Two key measures support this strategy: the visa exemption for Chinese vacationers and the resumption in 2024 of the direct air connection between Beijing and Havana, operated by Air China.