Abercrombie & Kent Rolls Out New, Extended Cuba Program

Abercrombie & Kent added a new, longer and more immersive program to its selection of Cuba People to People programs. The new 13-day program, Cuba: Across the Island: People to People, is designed for people who want to dig a little deeper in and see a little more of the island.

“We were somewhat unusual by doing the middle of the crescent and Havana,” said Richard Harris, senior vice president of product development and operations. “There’s a lot of companies who are just offering Havana. Our travelers were interested in seeing the eastern end of the island as well. So we’ve now created one that goes all the way from Santiago de Cuba, right through the island, spends some time in the middle and then ends up in Havana.”

The new program flies directly into Holguin, drives southeast to Santiago de Cuba, travels westward through the length of the island to Havana and a little beyond before flying back to Miami from Havana.

“We drive the length of the island,” said Harris, “so you’re really going to see the different landscapes, rural Cuba with the crops growing, the smaller towns en route. It does have a very varied climate, which might strike people as surprising for such a small island. Because of its topography and its lengthy east-west curve there are quite distinct landscapes that they’ll see.”

The trip from Santiago de Cuba to Havana covers almost the entire length of the island.

“It’s the full east-west length of the island, not quite to the far end,” said Harris. “There’s a bit beyond Havana that you can go to, but we thought by going outside of Havana to a place called Las Terrazas we give a flavor of the western end of the island. Havana is basically the far western end of it.”

A&K is continuing to offer its original 10-day Cuba: People to People program.

“We felt that the 10-day program with its experience in the rural middle around Santa Clara and then going to Havana was a good program,” said Harris. “And I think for many people it still will be. But there were a number of guests who were interested in the eastern end of the island as well.”

People to People programs are packed with encounters with locals in order to meet the qualifications set by OFAC. But ironically, the People to People model fits with the most popular style of travel in 2015, immersive travel with authentic experiences of the destination and personal encounters with locals.

The program includes a cooking demonstration at a paladar, one of the new privately owned restaurants that are expanding under Cuba’s opening to free market principles. It includes a visit to Birán, the birthplace of Fidel Castro, and a museum replica of his birthplace. The itinerary also includes a number of opportunities to meet with local artists and musicians.

When A&K put its first Cuba program on the market in 2011, the program sold out within hours of its becoming available. The new programs are still selling well, but not as fast as the initial offerings.

“We’re very pleased with the number of guests that have joined both programs,” said Harris. “So far the shorter program continues to be the most popular, but the new longer one is doing very well now. Other companies have developed Cuba programs too. There are many more opportunities to go there now. It didn’t sell out in a few hours like the first ones.”

The 13-day program is priced from $7,495 per person. The 10-day program is priced from $5,695.

Source: Travel Pulse