American tourists in Cuba: Is the communist country a forbidden or a tainted fruit?

Abstract

Americans are the majority of tourists in the Caribbean, but the US embargo against Cuba prevents almost all American tourists from visiting Cuba. This study uses mixed methods to examine a group of American tourists' destination image of Cuba before and after a tour in Cuba. The American tourists in this study described Cuba as a forbidden fruit, a desirable destination that Americans are not allowed to or at least should not visit. On the positive side, travelling to Cuba was seen as a scarce opportunity that has the allure of the prohibited and the attraction of viewing communism from a previous era. Conversely, the image of Cuba was also tainted by the history of political antagonism with America and associated concerns about tourist safety, cost, and a limited market place. However, actual and potential changes in Cuba are likely to heavily impact the destination image in the near future.

Keywords

Cuba communism embargo destination image forbidden fruit

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Babb

(2011) Che, Chevys, and Hemingway's daiquiris: Cuban tourism in a time of globalisation. Bulletin of Latin American Research 30(1): 50–63.

Biagi

Brandono

Detotto

(2012) The effect of tourism on crime in Italy: A dynamic panel approach. Economics: The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal 6(2012–25): 1–24.

Brehm

(1966) A Theory of Psychological Reactance, New York, NY: Academic Presss.

Brotherton

(2008) “We have to think like capitalists but continue being socialists”: Medicalized subjectivities, emergent capital, and socialist entrepreneurs in post-Soviet Cuba. American Ethnologist 35(2): 259–274.

Bushman

(1998) Effects of warning and information labels on consumption of full-fat, reduced-fat, and no-fat products. Journal of Applied Psychology 83(1): 97–101.

Bushman

Stack

(1996) Forbidden fruit versus tainted fruit: Effects of warning labels on attraction to television violence. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied 2(3): 207–226.

Caribjournal (3 February 2014) Cuba saw a slight increase in tourism arrivals in 2013. Available at: http://www.caribjournal.com/2014/02/03/cuba-saw-a-slight-increase-in-tourism-arrivals-in-2013/# (accessed 9 December 2014).

Carter

(2008) Of spectacular phantasmal desire: Tourism and the Cuban state's complicity in the commodification of its citizens. Leisure Studies 27(3): 241–257.

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2014) The world factbook. Available at: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cu.html (accessed 9 January 2014).

10.

Chen

C-C

Lin

Y-H

Petrick

(2013) Social biases of destination perceptions. Journal of Travel Research 52(2): 240–252.

11.

Chintrakarn

Herzer

(2012) More inequality, more crime? A panel cointegration analysis for the United States. Economics Letters 116(3): 389–391. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.econlet.2012.04.014.

12.

Echtner

Ritchie

(1993) The measurement of destination image: An empirical assessment. Journal of Travel Research 31(4): 3–13.

13.

Elgar

Aitken

(2011) Income inequality, trust and homicide in 33 countries. The European Journal of Public Health 21(2): 241–246.

14.

Enamorado T, López-Calva L-F, Rodríguez-Castelán C, et al. (2014) Income inequality and violent crime: Evidence from Mexico's drug war. World Bank Policy Research Working Paper (6935).

15.

Firpo-Cappiello R (20 February 2013). To go or not to go? 10 controversial destinations in 2013. Available at http://www.today.com/travel/go-or-not-go-10-controversial-destinations-2013-1C8344003 (accessed 10 January 2014).

16.

Franks J (2 August 2013) ‘People-to-People’ trips to Cuba have forbidden fruit appeal. Available at: http://www.themorningsun.com/article/MS/20130802/life01/130809941 (accessed 17 March 2014).

17.

Gartner

(1993) Image formation process. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing 2(2–3): 191–216.

18.

Goldman P (3 February 2014) Why travel to Cuba and why travel there now! Friendly Planet Travel. Available at: http://blog.friendlyplanet.com/2014/02/why-travel-to-cuba-and-why-travel-there-now.html (accessed 17 March 2014).

19.

Green

DON

Creswell

Shop

(2010) Grounded theory and racial/ethnic diversity. In: Bryant

Charmaz

(eds) The SAGE Handbook of Grounded Theory, Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publication, pp. 472–492.

20.

Hall

(2002) Tourism and development in communist and post-communist societies. In: Harrison

(ed.) Tourism and the Less Developed World: Issues and Case Studies, Cambridge, MA: CABI Publishing. index mundi. Cuba-international tourism, pp. 91–107. . Available at: http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/cuba/international-tourism (accessed 9 December 2014).

21.

Jenkins

(1999) Understanding and measuring tourist destination images. International Journal of Tourism Research 1(1): 1–15.

22.

Jewell B (12 September 2012) Cuba: Forbidden fruit for Americans. Group Travel Leader. Available at: http://grouptravelleader.com/blog/cuba-forbidden-fruit-for-americans-4/ (accessed 17 March 2014).

23.

Kvale

(1983) The qualitative research interview: A phenomenological and a hermeneutical mode of understanding. Journal of Phenomenological Psychology 14(2): 171–196.

24.

Lewis

(1992) The effects of parental advisory labels on adolescent music preferences. Journal of Communication 42(1): 106–113.

25.

MacKay

Couldwell

(2004) Using visitor-employed photography to investigate destination image. Journal of Travel Research 42(4): 390–396.

26.

MacKay

Fesenmaier

(1997) Pictorial element of destination in image formation. Annals of Tourism Research 24(3): 537–565.

27.

MacKay

McVetty

(2002) Images of first-time visitors to Queen Charlotte Islands and Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration 20(2): 11–30.

28.

MacKinnon

Lapin

(1998) Effects of alcohol warnings and advertisements: A test of the boomerang hypothesis. Psychology and Marketing 15(7): 707–726.

29.

Montolio

Planells-Struse

(2013) Does tourism boost criminal activity? Evidence from a top touristic country. Crime & Delinquency. DOI: 0011128713505489, Available at: http://cad.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/10/25/0011128713505489.full.pdf+html.

30.

Neuman S (21 December 2014) GOP sens. Rubio, Paul square off over Cuba policy shift. Available at: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/12/21/372283625/gop-sens-rubio-paul-square-off-over-cuba-policy-shift (accessed 22 December 2014).

31.

Office of Foreign Assets Control (2012) Comprehensive Guidelines for License Application to Engage in Travel-related Transactions Involving Cuba. Available at: http://www.treasury.gov/resourcecenter/sanctions/Programs/Documents/cuba_tr_app.pdf (accessed 17 January 2014).

32.

Oishi S Kesebir

Diener

(2011) Income inequality and happiness. Psychological Science 22(9): 1095–1100.

33.

Orsi P (3 February 2014). Tours changing American views of Cuba, US policy. Available at: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/tours-changing-american-views-cuba-us-policy (accessed 17 March 2014).

34.

Padilla

McElroy

(2007) Cuba and Caribbean tourism after Castro. Annals of Tourism Research 34(3): 649–672.

35.

Pagliaro J (10 February 2014) Toronto mom barred from leaving Cuba ahead of toddler's funeral. Available at: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/02/06/toronto_mom_barred_from_leaving_cuba_ahead_of_toddlers_funeral.html (accessed 17 February 2014).

36.

Pare

P-P

Felson

(2014) Income inequality, poverty and crime across nations. The British Journal of Sociology 65(3): 434–458. DOI: 10.1111/1468-4446.12083.

37.

Perelló Cabrera JL (2012) Turismo, migracióny proyectos de codesarrollo en el escenario turístico Cubano. Available at: http://www.ascecuba.org/c/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/v22-perello.pdf (accessed 21 December 2014).

38.

Reilly

(1990) Free elicitation of descriptive adjectives for tourism image assessment. Journal of Travel Research 28(4): 21–26.

39.

Reisinger

Mavondo

(2005) Travel anxiety and intentions to travel internationally: Implications of travel risk perception. Journal of Travel Research 43(3): 212–225.

40.

Roland

(2011) Cuban Color in Tourism and La Lucha: An Ethnography of Racial Meanings, New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

41.

Romeu

(July 2008) Vacation over: Implications for the Caribbean of opening US-Cuba Tourism. IMF Working Papers Vol. 8: 1–62.

42.

Sachsida

de Mendonça

MJC

Loureiro

(2010) Inequality and criminality revisited: further evidence from Brazil. Empirical Economics 39(1): 93–109.

43.

Sanchez

Adams

(2008) The Janus-faced character of tourism in Cuba. Annals of Tourism Research 35(1): 27–46.

44.

Schaper D (2014) Ready to hit the Cuban beach? Americans still have to wait. Available at: http://www.npr.org/2014/12/21/372192733/ready-to-hit-the-cuban-beach-americans-still-have-to-wait (accessed 21 December 2014).

45.

Schwartz

(1999) Pleasure Island: Tourism and Temptation in Cuba, Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.

46.

Shields

(2011) Inside communist Cuba-The forbidden fruits of Havana. Travel Tattler. Available at: http://theaposition.com/traveltattler/golf/courses-and-travel/997/inside-communist-cuba-the-forbidden-fruits-of-havana (accessed 17 March 2014).

47.

Snyder

Blood

(1992) Caution: Alcohol advertising and the Surgeon General's alcohol warnings may have adverse effects on young adults. Journal of Applied Communication Research 20(1): 37–53.

48.

Strauss

Corbin

(1998) Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory, Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publication.

49.

Tajfel H and Turner JC (1979) An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. The Social Psychology of Intergroup Relations 33(47): 74.

50.

Tamayo JO (3 February 2014) Cuba's elders struggle daily with poverty. Available at: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/02/03/3911131/cubas-elders-struggle-daily-with.html (accessed 4 February 2014).

51.

Taowang

(2011) Income inequality, crime and subjective well-being: An empirical study from China. China Economic Quarterly 4: 014.

52.

Tasci

ADA

(2009) Social distance: The missing link in the loop of movies, destination image, and tourist behavior? Journal of Travel Research 47(4): 494–507.

53.

Tasci

ADA

Gartner

Cavusgil

(2007) Conceptualization and operationalization of destination image. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research 31(2): 194–223.

54.

Tuttle R and Tuttle J (September 2000) Forbidden fruit: Mangoes in the morning. Caribbean Compass. Available at: http://www.caribbeancompass.com/fruitfin.htm (accessed 17 March 2014).

55.

US State Department (2014) Cuba: Country specific information. Available at: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1097.html#country (accessed 9 January 2014).

56.

Wilkinson

(2008) Cuba's tourism ‘boom’: A curse or a blessing? Third World Quarterly 29(5): 979–993.

57.

Wilkinson

(2009) Just how special is “special”: Britain, Cuba, and US Relations 1958–2008 an overview. Diplomacy & Statecraft 20(2): 291–308.

58.

Wolburg

(2006) College students' responses to antismoking messages: Denial, defiance, and other boomerang effects. Journal of Consumer Affairs 40(2): 294–323.