TUI To Resume Flights To Cuba For UK Holidaymakers - Cuban Diplomat

TUI, the largest leisure, travel and tourism company in the world, will resume its long-haul program to Cuba on October 25 with two weekly flights from the United Kingdom to the Varadero resort, Joel Hernandez, tourism counselor in the Cuban embassy in London told Sputnik on Friday

LONDON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd October, 2020) TUI, the largest leisure, travel and tourism company in the world, will resume its long-haul program to Cuba on October 25 with two weekly flights from the United Kingdom to the Varadero resort, Joel Hernandez, tourism counselor in the Cuban embassy in London told Sputnik on Friday.

The diplomat said that the Anglo-German tour operator was first planning to operate only one weekly flight from Manchester to Varadero but given the high demand for the Cuban tourist destination among UK holidaymakers the company decided to add another flight from London Gatwick airport.

"This decision to fly twice a week to Varadero shows that Cuba is a popular holiday destination for UK tourists," Hernandez told Sputnik.

He added that by resuming its operations in Cuba, TUI is also acknowledging the progress the Caribbean island has made in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, with less than 6,500 coronavirus cases and 128 deaths so far.

Hernandez also highlighted the fact that Cuba is exempt from the UK government's advice against all but essential travel, meaning that UK tourists do not need to quarantine for 14 days upon return home.

The first TUI non-stop flight of this winter season to the Varadero beach resort, on the north coast of Cuba, will depart from London Gatwick airport on October 25, followed by another flight from Manchester on November 1.

The company, which owns travel agencies, hotels, airlines, cruise ships and retail shops, will use one of its 300-seat Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 for the long-haul flight to the Caribbean island.