tourism

This week as part of our culture class we went to look at architecture in Habana Vieja. As we walked around and learned about various buildings and styles in the old city I couldn’t help but notice the disparity between building which have been restored and those that have not been. Our guest professor who works for the city planning commission explained that many of the buildings are being renovated to become homes and businesses. The first floor is often changed from public housing into shops or restaurants and the upper floors will remain homes. When asked what happens to the residents who lived on the first floor she explained that they are relocated to other parts of the city. Basically areas that were once rundown from neglect and overpopulated are being converted into tourist havens. About 30% of Habana Vieja has been renovated and that 30% is where tourists would be. It contains all the major historical sites of the old city and most of the small hotels, and is dotted with overpriced restaurants. I wonder how many of Havana’s tourists walk the extra block from the tourist sights to see the real Habana Vieja which consists not of brightly colored buildings and museums but rather overcrowded tenet homes that are in disarray. Our professor told us that there is a lot still to be done in Habana Vieja because every two days part of a building in the neighborhood crumbles. This is usually a balcony, a staircase, a porch, etc… She explained that rarely does an entire building collapse, but when one does the lot is cleared to be used as small green spaces where shrubs and trees are planted and small benches are set. As we walked around it was obvious that the majority of the buildings in Habana Vieja that are occupied by people would not even come close to passing building inspections in the US. It is interesting that here people and the government use unsafe spaces for housing, while increasing the number of restaurants and small unnecessary museums in order to create more state revenue, which can be allocated to other government projects, instead of rebuilding Habana.

Tourism has become one of Cuba’s largest industries and in Habana Vieja it shows. There is a troupe of performers who walk around the small squares and streets on stilts in brightly colored outfits playing instruments. They expect money from people who photograph them and are not performing as part of a celebration but rather to entertain tourists who think that they represent a typical Cuban or Caribbean celebration. Women walk the streets in brightly colored dresses with flowers and pose for photographs. These people take advantage of tourists to help them make a supplemental income and are in some ways encouraged to do so. Tourism has become the avenue for people who are not complacent with their state salaries to earn extra money by feeding on the ‘wealthy’ tourist population.

Currently living in a society where a lot of money is made in tourism has made me see the downside to using tourism for development. Here in Cuba tourists pour money into businesses owned in part by the government and enjoy artfully constructed vignettes into Cuban life. Most tourists only see the parts of the city that have been built up for tourists and take excursions not on the crowded buses and trains but rather in taxis and tourist buses which take them out of Havana and to smaller towns and beach resorts which have been crafted to make Cuba seem like a place that is beautiful and where no one suffers. Was there a better but perhaps slower method of developing Cuba and its society, without relying on foreign tourism which perhaps changes perceptions on what Cuban culture really consists of?