“It was important to us to craft an itinerary that not only captured the joy of the Havana Pride Parade but offered insights into the incredible work being done here to advance the cause of LGBTQ rights,” says Yaima Sanchez, Co-Founder, and COO of Cuba VIP Travel. “That’s why it’s such a great honor that we’ll be collaborating with some of the most prominent names in Cuba’s LGBTQ community, including individual activists as well as organizations, all of them playing key roles in the vital push for rights. These are the people changing the LGBTQ landscape across Cuba, and we’re so proud to be able to invite our customers to be part of that.”
The new tour has been designed as a celebratory response to the landmark announcement earlier this year that the Cuban National Assembly was backing a constitutional change that will, for the first time, allow same-sex marriage in the country. Through a carefully curated series of experiences, the tour will offer customers a snapshot of Havana’s LGBTQ scene at this crucial moment in history.
Prices begin from $2,275 USD per person, which includes four nights and five days of luxury accommodation at the five-star Parque Central Hotel in the heart of Havana.
Among the other inclusions on the tour are all meals, including gourmet dinners, throughout the trip; participation in activities including the Havana Pride Parade, the Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia and activism workshops; a private reception with renowned figures from the local LGBTQ community, and further opportunities to attend parties alongside them; and expert-led tours of the cultural and historic highlights of the city.
Specially tailored one-off events, such as a spectacular farewell gala including a lavish dinner and live performances by a range of high-profile Cuban acts in a very special venue, will also be covered by the tour’s ticket price.
In addition to their commission, travel agents booking places on the tour will be incentivized with the option to join the tour for free themselves if they sell the package to over 20 customers. And in addition, a percentage of all sales proceeds made from the tour will be fed directly back into Cuba’s LGBTQ community. Havana’s LGBTQ community through donations made to non-profits on the ground there.
Although Cuba VIP Travel’s offer already includes a range of different tours throughout the island, this will be the company’s first foray into tours specifically created with LGBTQ travelers in mind.
Yaima Sanchez, Cuba VIP Travel’s Vice President of Operations, is enthusiastic about the new addition to the company’s roster of tours. “This is a hugely exciting time for Cuba’s LGBTQ community, with social change happening at a tremendous pace and political support for LGBTQ rights constantly on the rise,” she says. “Havana is at the heart of these changes. We knew we needed to create a travel experience that truly revealed the soul of the LGBTQ movement in this remarkable city, while also giving something back, in terms of funding, to the local organizations we admire. We feel satisfied that we’ve managed to achieve those aims, and we can’t wait to hear the feedback from our customers.”
