Cuba’s distinctly Socialist vibe keeps it from being the new Hawaii

It was a big deal when the first commercial flights to Cuba resumed last year. But as it turns out, Cuba is no Hawaii. Yet, anyway.

Last year, close to 300,000 Americans visited Cuba. That’s up 74 percent thanks to much cheaper direct flights. The US government approved 110 daily nonstops.

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But now some carriers are cutting back. CBS’s Chris Van Cleave talked with Collin Laverty who runs Cuba Educational Travel.

Van Cleave: “Did the gold rush not happen or just not happen as quickly as people thought?”

Laverty: “I think it didn’t happen as fast as people thought…. I think a lot of that has to do with confusion about the legality. Once you book your ticket, then what do you do? How do you book a hotel? How do you book a tour? What support system there is here? There’s a lot of confusion. It’s a tough country to navigate.”

As a result, American Airlines has cut the number of flights to several Cuban cities, and JetBlue will move to smaller planes. Discount airline Spirit is dropping all service to Cuba starting today.

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CBS News reports that some analysts expect two million Americans to visit Cuba annually by 2025, but a new survey finds only 2 percent are likely to plan a trip in the next six months.

One of the problems appears to be that people think Cuba is like Hawaii only closer. This may be true in terms of climate, but in terms of comfort … there’s a long way to go. The roads are primitive and the internet is discouraged. In fact, it was non-existent when I was there three years ago. And while you will find unspoiled beaches and pristine nature preserves, the nightlife and the hotel accommodations are, shall we say, distinctly Socialist.

Which is why instead of flying, many tourists prefer to float across. The WiFi on a cruise ship is much better, and you can bring your capitalist bed with you.

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