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Cuba’s Fans in Canada Anxiously Picture an Island Awash in Americans Cuba’s Fans in Canada Anxiously Picture an Island Awash in Americans
(34 minutes later)
OTTAWA — Oh no. Now they’ll spoil everything.OTTAWA — Oh no. Now they’ll spoil everything.
The grumbling and dismay began on social media even before Presidents Obama and Raúl Castro formally announced the Cuban-American reconciliation on Wednesday.The grumbling and dismay began on social media even before Presidents Obama and Raúl Castro formally announced the Cuban-American reconciliation on Wednesday.
Canada never imposed an embargo on Cuba the way the United States did, and Canadians have been allowed to travel and do business there with few if any restrictions.Canada never imposed an embargo on Cuba the way the United States did, and Canadians have been allowed to travel and do business there with few if any restrictions.
Now, many Canadians were lamenting, the thaw between Havana and Washington meant that Cuba might soon cease to be that rarest of oases: an affordable warm-weather vacationland with hardly an American in sight.Now, many Canadians were lamenting, the thaw between Havana and Washington meant that Cuba might soon cease to be that rarest of oases: an affordable warm-weather vacationland with hardly an American in sight.
One Canadian who uses a variation of an Inuit goddess’s name as a Twitter handle wrote:One Canadian who uses a variation of an Inuit goddess’s name as a Twitter handle wrote:
Stevenson Fergus, a professor of health studies in Kingston, Ontario, echoed that sentiment.Stevenson Fergus, a professor of health studies in Kingston, Ontario, echoed that sentiment.
They are somewhat unusual in not having been to the island already. Canada, which has a population of about 35.5 million, sent 1.1 million visitors to Cuba last year alone, according to the Cuban Travel Board in Canada. Canada is by far the island’s largest source of tourists, and Cuba is the third-most-visited destination for Canadians, after the United States and Mexico.They are somewhat unusual in not having been to the island already. Canada, which has a population of about 35.5 million, sent 1.1 million visitors to Cuba last year alone, according to the Cuban Travel Board in Canada. Canada is by far the island’s largest source of tourists, and Cuba is the third-most-visited destination for Canadians, after the United States and Mexico.
In a country with dire transportation problems, the shiny white Chinese tour buses reserved for tourists on Cuba’s roads are a prominent symbol of visitors’ economic importance. Cuba goes out of its way to make Canadians welcome, setting aside whole resorts and hotels for them, subdivided between their two official languages, French and English.In a country with dire transportation problems, the shiny white Chinese tour buses reserved for tourists on Cuba’s roads are a prominent symbol of visitors’ economic importance. Cuba goes out of its way to make Canadians welcome, setting aside whole resorts and hotels for them, subdivided between their two official languages, French and English.
A mild undercurrent of envy and resentment toward the United States is standard north of the border, of course. But beyond that, Canadians have practical concerns about what would happen if the United States eventually moves to a policy of wide-open tourism with Cuba, a step it has not taken yet.A mild undercurrent of envy and resentment toward the United States is standard north of the border, of course. But beyond that, Canadians have practical concerns about what would happen if the United States eventually moves to a policy of wide-open tourism with Cuba, a step it has not taken yet.
“The absence of the Yankees is not necessarily an advantage, but their presence could be a disadvantage,” said Gabor Forgacs, a professor in the tourism and hospitality school at Ryerson University in Toronto. “There’s a legitimate concern that you’ll have heightened demands that will drive up the prices.”“The absence of the Yankees is not necessarily an advantage, but their presence could be a disadvantage,” said Gabor Forgacs, a professor in the tourism and hospitality school at Ryerson University in Toronto. “There’s a legitimate concern that you’ll have heightened demands that will drive up the prices.”
There seems little question that Americans will rush to Cuba if they are allowed. Jury Krytiuk, who manages a department devoted to Cuban trips at A. Nash Travel in Mississauga, Ontario, a Toronto suburb, said Wednesday that he was already besieged with calls from Americans who heard Mr. Obama’s speech and mistakenly believed that all travel restrictions would soon be removed.There seems little question that Americans will rush to Cuba if they are allowed. Jury Krytiuk, who manages a department devoted to Cuban trips at A. Nash Travel in Mississauga, Ontario, a Toronto suburb, said Wednesday that he was already besieged with calls from Americans who heard Mr. Obama’s speech and mistakenly believed that all travel restrictions would soon be removed.
Mr. Krytiuk said his staff already books trip to Cuba for thousands of Americans each year who work around their country’s embargo by flying first to Canada. On the whole, he said, his current American customers do not fit the stereotype many Canadians have of them as loud, ignorant and self-absorbed; if anything, he said, they are rather the opposite.Mr. Krytiuk said his staff already books trip to Cuba for thousands of Americans each year who work around their country’s embargo by flying first to Canada. On the whole, he said, his current American customers do not fit the stereotype many Canadians have of them as loud, ignorant and self-absorbed; if anything, he said, they are rather the opposite.
“Canadians do a beach vacation, they get to a hotel and sit there,” Mr. Krytiuk said. “Right now, Americans are all about seeing Cuba beyond the beaches.”“Canadians do a beach vacation, they get to a hotel and sit there,” Mr. Krytiuk said. “Right now, Americans are all about seeing Cuba beyond the beaches.”
Even so, he said, Canadians may fear that a huge influx of Americans will change Cuba for the worse.Even so, he said, Canadians may fear that a huge influx of Americans will change Cuba for the worse.
“People think the day Cuba opens, McDonald’s going to be there, Wendy’s is going to be there,” Mr. Krytiuk said.“People think the day Cuba opens, McDonald’s going to be there, Wendy’s is going to be there,” Mr. Krytiuk said.
Though some Canadian travelers were grumbling, others welcomed the news on Wednesday and said they hoped that détente with America would help alleviate the poverty they have seen during their trips to Cuba. They also challenged the notion that Canadians were a superior breed of tourist.Though some Canadian travelers were grumbling, others welcomed the news on Wednesday and said they hoped that détente with America would help alleviate the poverty they have seen during their trips to Cuba. They also challenged the notion that Canadians were a superior breed of tourist.
While acknowledging that the American tourism ban gave Cuba “a forbidden-fruit quality that made it attractive” in addition to its beaches and history, Mark Scrivens, a public servant in Ottawa, said he foresees little change. “I met a lot of ‘Ugly Canadians’ when I holidayed there,” said Mark Scrivens, a government worker from Ottawa who proposed to his wife in Cuba 10 years ago.
“I met a lot of ‘Ugly Canadians’ when I holidayed there,” said Mr. Scrivens, who proposed to his wife in Cuba 10 years ago.
Mr. Scrivens acknowledged that the American embargo gave the island “a forbidden-fruit quality that made it attractive,” but he said he thinks Cuba will still be Cuba after the embargo is lifted. “I can’t imagine Americans making a difference, except to the prices,” he said.Mr. Scrivens acknowledged that the American embargo gave the island “a forbidden-fruit quality that made it attractive,” but he said he thinks Cuba will still be Cuba after the embargo is lifted. “I can’t imagine Americans making a difference, except to the prices,” he said.
Unlike many Canadian tourists, Michael Slavitch, a computer systems architect in Ottawa who has made three trips to Cuba, said he thinks many of the Americans who travel to Cuba will speak at least some Spanish. And, he added, they will only be adding to an influx of tourists from wealthy capitalist countries that started long ago.Unlike many Canadian tourists, Michael Slavitch, a computer systems architect in Ottawa who has made three trips to Cuba, said he thinks many of the Americans who travel to Cuba will speak at least some Spanish. And, he added, they will only be adding to an influx of tourists from wealthy capitalist countries that started long ago.
“There was nothing more frightening in Cuba,” he said, “than a half-dozen German schoolteachers belting out ‘The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan’ in German-accented English.”“There was nothing more frightening in Cuba,” he said, “than a half-dozen German schoolteachers belting out ‘The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan’ in German-accented English.”