Cuban Ecotourism's Potential for Community Sustainability and Resilience

Cuba has a rich culture, endemic species, beautiful beaches, and several UNESCO-designated natural and cultural heritage sites that make it a popular destination for tourists. Recent political shifts within and outside of Cuba... [ view full abstract ]

Cuba has a rich culture, endemic species, beautiful beaches, and several UNESCO-designated natural and cultural heritage sites that make it a popular destination for tourists. Recent political shifts within and outside of Cuba signal both a significantly increasing demand for visits to Cuba as well as greater potential for private sector tourism development. However, this much-needed economic development could threaten the resources that are integral to Cuban livelihoods and tourist experiences, as well as the communities themselves, if the sector is not developed with intention. The challenge for Cuba is to identify a sustainable path for tourism that will allow resilient communities to realize the welcomed economic benefits that tourism can provide while protecting their natural, cultural, and community resources. This research investigates two sites with varying levels of tourism development and private sector involvement, Mayajigua and Zapata, to determine the role of scale and community engagement in ecotourism development. Interviews were conducted with key stakeholders in both regions to determine perceived benefits and challenges associated with tourism development, the level of community engagement with tourism, and potential for community resilience. Results suggest that the smaller-scale, community-based tourism found in Mayajigua may provide more authentic experiences for visitors while the tourism provided by the private sector in Zapata exemplifies the more likely pattern of potential Cuban tourism development. In both cases, key questions remain related to resource sustainability and community resiliency if tourism expands as significantly as is predicted. In contrast to many developing country contexts with this challenge, the Cuban populace is highly educated and has a long history of facing significant challenges to community resiliency. Together these characteristics suggest potential for a tourism development pattern that challenges yet strengthens already resilient communities.