Tourists from Russia's main destination is Isla Margarita in Venezuela

08-07-23

Margarita Island in the Venezuelan Caribbean has become a particular haven of paradise for Russian tourists. Good diplomatic relations between Russia and Venezuela have made it possible for tourists from the former Soviet country to circumvent the strict restrictions on air travel imposed by the international community following the military invasion of Ukraine.

The Latin American media Globovisión reports that more than 21,000 Russian travellers have visited Venezuela since the beginning of the year. This influx of Russian tourism has come about thanks to the direct flight operation launched by the Russian charter airline Nordwind Airlines, which links the international airports of Moscow-Sheremetyevo and General-in-Chief Santiago Mariño (Margarita Island). This Venezuelan tourist destination is part of a "strategic plan" implemented by the government to boost tourism, according to the Deputy Minister of International Tourism, Leticia Gómez.

The Russians were received at Santiago Mariño International Airport, in the municipality of Díaz in Nueva Esparta state, to which Margarita belongs, Gómez added on the social network, where she shared a video of the tourists' arrival.

Margarita has also received thousands of Cuban tourists in the past year, and Polish travellers are expected to visit the island in the coming months thanks to a cooperation agreement signed by Venezuela and Poland in January, according to the Ministry of Tourism.

Almost 5,000 Cubans went shopping on the Venezuelan island of Margarita in 11 months, and according to Venezuelan authorities, each Cuban spends an average of 5,000 dollars on products that cannot be found in the country.

The group is part of the Cuba-Venezuela "charter operation", which began in March last year and connects Havana with the Venezuelan city of Porlamar, in the island region of Nueva Esparta, to which Margarita, popularly known as the Pearl of the Caribbean, belongs.

Alí Padrón, the Venezuelan Minister of Tourism, explained last January that the island is mainly visited by "small Cuban businessmen" who spend an average of 5,000 dollars per person, just to buy products they cannot get in Cuba. The issue was even mentioned in the South American country's press.

Cubans have found on the island of Margarita a potential market to buy foodstuffs, basic necessities and other items free of customs duties in the midst of a deep shortage crisis.

The president of the Neo-Spartan Chamber of Tourism, Viviana de Vethencourt, recently told EFE that it is "extremely positive" that international tourists are arriving because "it reactivates and boosts the region's economy" and also makes "other countries turn their eyes towards Venezuela".

From Cuba, the Cubatur agency offers a seven-night package at the Venetur hotel for up to 970 dollars per traveller, while a week's stay in a single room at the luxurious Tibisay hotel costs up to 1,523 dollars. The additional cost per child is 650 dollars.

The commercial director of the Venezuelan tourist agency GTN, Yunier Avila, predicted that 500 Cubans between the ages of 25 and 40 would arrive in January alone. "For the most part, the people who have travelled come for shopping tourism," he said in an interview with the news outlet NTA. They are looking for "food that is duty free", although they also buy small electrical appliances, depending on the hold luggage capacity offered by the plane.

Similarly, Isla Margarita received last January the first cruise ship from Europe in 15 years, the German vessel Amadea, which arrived with almost 500 tourists from Europe, including from Spain, Germany and France, according to the government.

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