New fall flight to Cuba shows growing strength of Tampa's Cuban travel market

New fall flight to Cuba shows growing strength of Tampa's Cuban travel

market

Jamal Thalji, Times Staff Writer

Tuesday, July 23, 2013 6:19pm



TAMPA — Island Travel & Tours operator Bill Hauf said that in November

his company will add another weekly flight to Cuba from Tampa

International Airport.



That's significant because air travel to Cuba is at its strongest during

the summer months, when school is out and Cuban-Americans can take their

kids with them to visit relatives.



So adding Cuban flights in the offseason may be a better indicator of

the growing demand for flights from Tampa to Cuba. Those visitors

include many non-Cubans traveling to the island for educational trips

and other purposes authorized by the U.S. government.



Island Travel & Tours will add a Friday flight starting Nov. 1. So

during the offseason, the company will offer round trips to Cuba on

Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.



"We still see the demand growing by American groups as well as

Cuban-Americans here in the Tampa region," Hauf said. "We think it's

time to add a third flight. We're in the middle of a strong season, but

we expect to keep at it after the season is over."



Tampa International was allowed to resume commercial flights to Havana

in 2011 for the first time since the trade embargo took effect half a

century ago. More than 75,000 people have since used the airport to

visit Cuba.



There are now five flights a week from Tampa to Cuba. Island Travel &

Tours offers a flight to Havana on Wednesday and two on Sunday. ABC

Charters Inc. of Miami offers Tampa-to-Holguin on Tuesdays and

Tampa-to-Havana on Saturdays.



When the peak summer travel season ends next month, Island Travel &

Tours will give up one Sunday flight. ABC Charters Inc. will also stop

its Holguin route, according to its website.



But when Island Travel & Tours starts up its Friday route to Havana on

Nov. 1, that will still give Tampa International four weekly flights to

Cuba during the offseason. Hauf said the Friday flight will be popular

with those who only want to spend the weekend in Cuba.



Tampa has a base of about 80,000 Cuban-Americans that provides a steady

stream of customers to fill airplane seats to Cuba during the summer.



But the real potential to grow the market lies in non-Cubans. The U.S.

government doesn't allow Americans to go to Cuba for tourism. But it

does issue "people-to-people" licenses that allow Americans to travel to

Cuba for educational, cultural, religious and humanitarian reasons.



Hauf said that's the market that's growing. He's also trying to get

permission from the U.S. and Cuban governments to book flights to the

Cuban cities of Santa Clara and Cienfuegos.



"All those people that can legally travel to Cuba are the impetus for

growing the business," he said. So, in three years Hauf has added three

different flights to Cuba. "We're adding one once every year," he said.

"The business is growing. More Cuban-Americans are traveling and

traveling more frequently, and more Americans are traveling, all of

which is good news."



Jamal Thalji can be reached at thalji@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3404.



Source: "New fall flight to Cuba shows growing strength of Tampa's Cuban

travel market | Tampa Bay Times" -

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/airlines/new-fall-flight-to-cuba-shows-growing-strength-of-tampas-cuban-travel/2132823