Cuba - A Vapor Opportunity For US Airlines

Cuba: A Vapor Opportunity For US Airlines
Michael Boyd CONTRIBUTOR
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Michael Boyd is President of Boyd Group International, a leading
aviation consulting firm with headquarters in Evergreen, Colorado.
Cuba Is A Long Way From Being A Viable Destination… Even Mississippi Has
A Lot More To Offer

There's nothing like a one-sided grand opening.

Here's the visual: The customers are all excited, crowding at the doors
for the grand opening of a new department store, one that's been
promised by the media – not by the store itself – to be an incredible
experience. Emotions are running high – "everybody" has said this was
going to be the deal of the century.

The joke's on them, however. On the other side of the doors, the place
is empty. Matter of fact, the supposed vendor could care less, and had
little to do with all the hoopla that brought these people trying to
stampede through the doors. Not only that, but the shelves are empty. He
has very little to sell, and actually isn't interested in selling
anything, anyway.

That's a near-perfect description of the embarrassing burlesque that's
surrounding the opening of diplomatic relations with Cuba. A lot of
excitement based on fantasy.

An Embassy Does Not A Market Make. With diplomatic relations restored,
the travel media is in a frenzy, talking about the great "pent-up
demand" for US tourism to Cuba, and reporting on all sorts of
adventurous trips to see the place. Seems they think that a stint at a
gated beach resort with limited supply of soap is just what the
vacationers from Scarsdale have been hankerin' for.

But not to worry, there's also the business sector that supposedly is
crowding airline departure gates, ready to invest in the Cuban economy –
if only that US embargo can be eliminated. Of course, that's not what
the Cuban government wants – they are decidedly against opening toward a
truly free economy.

But you're really out of the consensus unless you buy the vision – this
is supposedly the first step to eventually having boatloads of North
Dakota grain heading for the hungry folks in Santiago and Holquin and
Santa Maria. Not to mention ships chocked full of US goodies, too – even
though most of our consumer goods and clothing aren't made in this
county. Minor point.

Source: Cuba: A Vapor Opportunity For US Airlines - Forbes -
http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeboyd/2015/09/17/cuba-a-vapor-opportunity-for-us-airlines/