I spent a brief yet full 5 days in Havana this week, and I can't stop thinking about the dozens of Cuban people I met. Despite being devastatingly poor in material resources, Cuba is one of the richest countries in terms of its human resources. While layers of decay and depression envelope Havana's infrastructure, a sharp resourcefulness shines through its denizens (mind you, health care and education are provided to all Cubans by the government). Havana's people are easygoing, friendly, and seemingly always ready for a conversation with whomever. Cell phone service and internet costs a small fortune for Cubans, so people instead stand in doorways and sit on street corners, lingering until they see a friend or family member stroll by.
The burgeoning tourism industry is currently attracting habaneros and other Cubans in droves. With an inundation of American tourists since 2016, there's a lot of money to be made, and much more than most government-regulated jobs. While the majority of the country is agrarian, there's a strong entrepreneurial spirit that pervades the society, which you can sense when interfacing with the people who run casas particulares (think: Cuba's native version of Airbnb), tour operations, taxi services and paladares (privately owned eateries).
The future of the Cuba / US relationship is not easy to predict, but the changes President Obama made at the end of his last administration have truly benefited thousands of Cubans. If anything, it is most apparent that the thousands of new American tourists landing in Cuba each month now play an important role in supporting Cuba's workforce and further economic development. Have you had the opportunity to visit Cuba? We'd love to hear your thoughts.
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