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Pinellas Tourism Officials Expect Cuba To Be Competitor

The Associated Press

Cuba is very likely to be opened up to U.S. travel in the next 24 months, Pinellas tourism consultant Walter Klages said.

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By TED JACKOVICS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 4, 2009

CLEARWATER - Cuba is expected to rapidly improve its infrastructure and accommodations for tourists as soon as U.S. restrictions on travel there are lifted, Pinellas County tourism officials said this morning.

But it is too soon to tell how Pinellas County's mainstay visitors industry would be affected by competition from Cuba, said D.T. Minich, executive director of Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater.

"Some people from the United States will visit Cuba out of curiosity and some will visit to say they've been there, but it won't be different from any Caribbean competitor," Minich said.

He said he's heard from visitors to Cuba from Canada that they generally book all-inclusive packages and find the services levels can be somewhat irregular.

"One day the pizza served at the hotel pool will be full of delicious Italian meats and the next day it will have three pieces of pepperoni," Minich said.

Pinellas County's visitors bureau is expected to conduct focus group meetings in Canada to gauge what increased interest Canadians would have in Cuba if the nation improved its hotels and other facilities.

But how much additional competition from Canada or the United States would develop if Cuba became a more attractive vacation spot is difficult to tell at this time, Minich said.

Cuba is very likely to be opened up to U.S. travel in the next 24 months, Pinellas tourism consultant Walter Klages said.

"We need to begin to talk about that possibility," he said.

Tribune reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at tjackovics@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7817.

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