As development and restoration shift into gear , Marriott ' s Sorenson , among others , have some observations . |
Marriott international ceo arne Sorenson is interviewed in Havana by a reporter during his recent trip . |
|||||
|
Arne Sorenson accompanied U . S . President Barack Obama on his historic trip to Cuba in March , but he ’ d already visited the Caribbean island in 2015 . “ It is a place that needs a ton of capital ,” the Marriott International CEO says . Since that earlier trip , “ there are a number of areas that have now
" hoteliers will have to work within the system , not aGainst it . the Cuban system is ChanGinG , but very slowly , and a lot of revolutionary ChanGe won ' t happen until the embarGo is lifted , whiCh Could be years from now ."
- DaviD McMillan , aXiS HoSpitality international
been redone , particularly under the love and care of the chief architect of the government , who is a very thoughtful man .” But much of Havana , which he describes as a living museum , needs capital for restoration and development . “ It is going to take some time to deal with airports , roads and these buildings
|
in an environment that has a different financial system than the one we are used to in the U . S .”
Sorenson says Marriott , one of two hotel companies with U . S . approval to do business in Cuba , hopes to announce a deal this year . ( Former competitor and soon-to-be acquisition Starwood Hotels & Resorts announced deals to manage two Havana hotels during Obama ’ s trip .)
Marriott ’ s deals probably won ’ t involve a lot of capital , Sorenson says . “ It may be easier at times to franchise , but we are eager to work it out so we can manage ,” he says .
|
Sorenson is measuring in decades the work ahead . So is Cuba : The government says it wants 100,000 new accommodations by 2030 ; whether that means beds or hotel rooms is not clear . “ There is tremendous opportunity for growth in tourism and the hotel business , and growth in all the things connected to that , including jobs in Cuba , in the decades ahead ,” he says .
What will it look like once Americans start to tap their frustrated fascination with the island , especially in an environment that is so politically charged ? “ This is going to be a very interesting evolution there over
|
" Cuba will be for ameriCa what China has been for the rest of the world for the last 15 to 20 years ." - arturo GarCia rosa , rhC latin ameriCa
the next few years ,” he says . The travel industry “ can be a bridge between these cultures , and help to build jobs and help deliver extraordinary and memorable experiences to travelers .”
|
|||
14 hotelsmag . com June 2016 |