Canadian dollars will soon be widely accepted in Cuba

Canadians visiting Cuba will soon be able to bid farewell to airport dashes in search of currency exchange outlets upon arriving in the Caribbean country.

Cuban tourism officials have announced that the country expects that by mid-August the likes of Canadian and American dollars and European euros will be widely accepted in Cuba, meaning that Canadians who don’t like using credit cards when abroad will shortly be able to use their own currency when buying the likes of bar drinks, restaurant meals, gift shop items and tour company excursions.

“If you want to pay (with Canadian) cash, you can,” Lessner Gomez, director of the Cuba Tourism Board’s office said during a Thursday Toronto gathering with senior officials from Cuban tourism firm Gaviota.

The move is expected to add a lot of convenience to a Cuban vacation. Tourism officials want people to realize that their country offers more than its sun-soaked shores.

Promoting Cuba

Frank Oltuski, vice-president of marketing for Gaviota, said there are “many different segments” to his homeland, which has traditionally relied on beach tourism “We have to stop thinking that Cuba is beach only,” said Oltuski, whose homeland is now championing the likes of ecotourism, culture and history along with its beaches. “Come and see Cuba outside the hotel.” Gomez agreed that Cuba shouldn’t rely on beach tourism alone. “When we talk of unica, it’s because we have a lot of things that are unique in Cuba,” said Gomez, whose homeland has given the world such cultural expressions as salsa and mambo.

Unica—Spanish for unique— is used by Cuba to describe itself in tourism promotions. Cuba is seeking more young visitors, hoping to attract them with such activities as birdwatching.

Tourism authorities are also suggesting that tourists consider “combo” holidays — dividing their vacations between perhaps a beach resort destination such as Varadero and time in the likes of Havana.