cubafortravel, its third year on the web

cubafortravel.com, its third year on the web

Last month the Cuban Travel Agency Transnico International had a small party in its office on the 6th floor of the Lonja del Comercio building overlooking Havana. It was the second anniversary of the its promotion site cubafortravel.com on the web.

In fact it was a pity that the many visitors to the site during these past years didn’t join in. As the celebration is mainly for them as thanks to this site they could easily access loads of information about the touristic possibilities in Cuba.

According to Mr. Orlando Bosch, operational manager of this Cuban Travel Agency, the success lies not so much in the numbers of visitors to the site as well as in the quality of the visitors that actually send mails, do inquiries and in the end come to Cuba or bring clients that do so. “We feel that we are reaching clients that we couldn’t reach before. We have grown more independent thanks to the web site. Before that we depended entirely on representations in Europe. Now we reach clients directly.” He states.

cubafortravel.com offers the straight forward tools of online confirmations with:

   1. car rentals in Cuba
   2. hotel bookings in Cuba

For visitors looking for information about traveling to Cuba you find data on:

   1. the 10 favourite spots to visit in Cuba
   2. the 10 best cycling rides in the country
   3. Cuba visa requirements
   4. currency in Cuba
   5. safety and health in Cuba
   6. communication means in the country

But the biggest asset of this site is the options in Cuba for:

   1. traveling on private basis
   2. traveling in group
   3. cycling in Cuba

The tendency in tourism world wide is a desire to travel around comfortably but independently in couple or with a small group of friends. cubafortravel.com offers various solutions for this:

   1. fly and drive packages: a self-drive roundtrip with hotels and car pre-booked. Through e-mail communication beforehand with the Transnico staff a program is worked out to satisfy each guests needs.
   2. Guide-driver packages: basically the same thing but with as extra asset a guide in the language of preference who also drives the vehicle. It satisfies the modern need to be independent but not while waisting time or getting all stressed up looking for the right directions.
   3. City-beach combinations: for people who are looking for beach stays but still with some interest in the country. A few days Havana and then off to a relaxing beach resort in the all inclusive formula. That is holidays. Of course with all transfers guaranteed.

Of course more possibilities are offered for group travel with 3 categories on offer:

   1. incentive travel: many companies organize trips for their personnel or sales people to give them a break from work and bring them together in a leisurely way. Quality accomodation and gastronomy is a must. The Cuban joy of life with cigars, music and dance guarantees the perfect incentive.
   2. sight seeing round trips: many come to Cuba to experience and see it. Highlights are Havana and Trinidad. But there is also the hidden beauty of nature like in Viñales and the Escambray. The professionally organized tours are guided by enthusiastic locals in the language of the guests.
   3. theme trips: your visit to Cuba can have a specific interest like cigars, salsa or politics. cubafortravel.com organizes group programs around specific themes with specialized guides to explore further your interests.

A real top section in the site is about cycling in Cuba. You find a detailed itinerary of the best cycling rides possible in Cuba. And Transnico organizes for small or average groups cycling trips to actually experience them.

cubafortravel.com offers transportation for back up, modern bicycles, hotel accomodation and enthusiastic guidance on wheels. 

Have a look at the programs on offer:

   1. a unique cycling city tour through Havana: in half a day you experience the areas of Vedado and Centro Havana on a bike.
   2. a week ride to get from Havana to Viñales and back: you find beautiful nature in the low hills of the Sierra del Rosario, with tobacco plantations, small villages and incredibles mogote mountains.
   3. a week ride between Havana and Varadero: drive at your own pace on bike to your resorts in Varadero. You have deserved your Varadero beach.
cubafortravel.com is the site to visit when you plan a trip to Cuba. Their logo promises “service from the source” and with its Havana and Varadero offices Transnico is really at the source.

After the celebration the Transnico staff got back to work. “There is no secret to our succes, just hard work. Or maybe our fast replies. We really try to reply fast to the requests we receive. We get compliments about that sometimes.” Mr. Bosch told us.