Tourism Research in Cuba: Gaps in Knowledge and Challenges for Sustainable Tourism

Abstract

As the government of Cuba plans to rapidly expand the tourism sector and heavily invest in infrastructure to accommodate the projected 10 million tourist arrivals in the next decade, scholars widely agree that Cuba urgently needs to adopt sustainable tourism principles and practices if the industry is to be harnessed as a successful means to achieve national development goals. There is a dearth of empirical studies on the environmental, social, and economic impact of tourism, which has implications for tourism policy and planning. The unique, but not insurmountable challenges of conducting research in Cuba are noted, with key research questions outlined that urgently need to be addressed moving forward.