TravTalk India Online Magazine
MGM Muthu Hotels, Destinos Gaviota, along with Tourism Ministry of Cuba, recently organised a mega Fam trip for tour operators from India and around the world to Cuba. The hotel chain is now looking at expansion and tapping the Indian market with new packages.
Nisha Verma
Cuba, despite being a small island, is a melting pot of history, culture and people, which makes it a must-visit destination for everyone. The MGM Muthu Group has properties in the country ranging from four to five-star, and prides itself in providing comfortable stays and caters to the demand from all kinds of travellers, including Indians, who have specific food and service requirements.
The Fam trip was aimed at putting Cuba on the travelling map of the world, especially India, from where around 150 delegates were in attendance. Kevin Maran, MD, MGM Muthu Hotels, Cuba, shared, “We wanted to open the doors of Cuba to not just India but to as many countries possible, because the country has such rich culture, food, great people, arts and many of the most wonderful beaches in the world. While many Indians may have heard about Cuba because of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, but they don’t know more than that and this trip opened those doors.”
Feedback from travel agents
Maran claimed that reaction from the travel agents was “fabulous”. “People have been very happy and claiming to have had a wonderful time in Cuba. Now, we want them to bring their family, friends, guests and clients. There has been a very positive reaction overall for the destination,” he shared.
Next step
However, the real work starts after the destination showcase, as one waits for the ROI. Talking about the same, Maran added, “We have already given packages to all the travel agents to promote the country as much as possible. We will organise another Fam trip next year, even bigger and better. We are planning to do it in a different way. We have been constantly talking to the travel agents in this trip as to how we can bring more people here. We have come up with appropriate packages to attract clientele with not just the hotels in focus but everything that Cuba has to offer, be it salsa lessons, cocktail making classes, Spanish speaking classes, and so many things the destination has to offer. There is a lot more in the pipeline. Especially, cubabooking.com really helps travellers to book with more ease, not just hotels, but taxis, private car hire, and activities to do in Cuba.
Connectivity boost
Plans to launch Muthu Aviation were also shared at the event. “All the major destinations in Cuba will be connected, including Havana, Holguin, Cayo Guillermo, and Cayo Coco,” Maran shared.
India connect
Opened by an Indian origin person, MGM Muthu Hotels are ready to cater to Indian tastes, food, and hospitality. “Three of our hotels have Indian restaurants and in our upcoming hotels we are planning to have Indian restaurants, as well as Indian nightclubs. We have Indian chefs on board and are planning to bring more soon. Also, we are planning to use the chefs to train more local people in Indian food. The idea is to bring more comfort for our Indian guests. We do Bollywood nights to get the whole vibe of India within Cuba,” he informed.
