Under the headline “Tourism for millionaires — income for millions,” official columnist Jorge Gómez Barata defended the government’s decision to sell luxury golf course condominiums to what could be thousands of wealthy foreigners. At the same time, he sheds a harsh light on government-run tourism and criticizes that Cubans or Cuban Americans likely won’t be allowed to buy condos.

Gómez Barata

 

Reacting to what he calls “friendly fire,” Gómez said in a column published by Radio Taíno that Cuba must offer services beyond hotels, in order to stay competitive.

“The curious thing is that a normal operation for any country with tourism as its main industry is subject to ‘friendly fire’ by persons who see [golf] … and the sale of residences as activities with the ideological potential of undermining the bases of socialism,” Gómez wrote.

“I know visitors who consider Cuba’s tourism offerings uncompetitive,” Gómez continues. “That’s not only in comparison with similar facilities in the United States and Europe, but also in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and other nations. However, according to [these visitors], the biggest difference is not in the hotels, but what’s outside.”

“Paradoxically, at a moment when the authorities, pressed by economic emergencies, are displaying a certain flexibility and shedding backward criteria and prejudices, advancing towards economic, cultural and commercial standards of more or less universal character, voices appear among the self-appointed guardians of the faith who, without any other arguments than outdated dogmas and stereotypes, go after a sport and an entire category of potential clients.”

Golf aside, Gómez cites a long list of shortcomings of Cuban tourist offerings, starting with the lack of typical, privately owned restaurants and shops.  ”There aren’t a lot of nautical clubs, nor are there any Cubans that practice boating or sports fishing, and … there aren’t any skating rinks, ice or cement, there aren’t any horse, greyhound or car races, there aren’t any casinos, domestic cruises, no bull or cock fights, we don’t play polo, cricket, tennis, jai alai or billiards, few of us practice extreme sports. Nor are there any large theme parks or traditional celebrations such as Christmas, Holy Kings, Easter Week and others that have the significance of what visitors are used to.”

He goes on saying that, outside of Havana, there is no coordinated effort to commercialize Cuba’s world-renowned music and performing arts for tourists.

“The case of tourism reveals with particular intensity the limitations of centralized politics and of the belief that culture and human relations can be administered. It also reflects the difficulties created by the continued validity of ideological stereotypes and the limits of the state managing entertainment, leisure activities and pleasures all by itself, without support from the community and collective imagination.

He ends his column urging the Cuban government to include Cubans in both the development and enjoyment of golf on the island.

“As far as the residences go, the anomaly wouldn’t be their sale to foreigners; the gravest aspect is that there aren’t any appropriate offerings to Cubans who live in the country or abroad and who, thanks to their work or other legal activities have enough resources to buy them.”

Gómez Barata’s tourism column did neither appear in the major official newspapers nor on the Cubadebate Web site, where his columns are frequently published. Gómez Barata is a Cuban academic and columnist known for his critical analysis of U.S. politics.

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