Cuba in transition: Tourism industry perceptions of entrepreneurial change

The Cuban government is working to create a climate conducive to a strong and sustainable private sector. As state employment declines, many residents are exploring the potential of tourism; Cuban entrepreneurs are interested in expanding beyond packaged mass tourism to develop more creative tourism products. However, the success of Cuban entrepreneurs is dependent on a number of conditions external to the entrepreneur known as the entrepreneurial climate (EC). Building on previous entrepreneurship research, this study utilizes interviews of a small group of tourism stakeholders in Cuba to address the research question - what are the perceptions of tourism stakeholders of both barriers to and factors encouraging private enterprise. It concludes with recommendations for planning and policy based on these perceptions that may cultivate entrepreneurial tourism development in Cuba, including improved internet access, development of both wholesaling and financing systems, business education, and legalization of additional tourism professions. Recommendations from the informants also align with recent initiatives in other centrally-governed nations (e.g. China, Singapore, and Bolivia) that have introduced private enterprise to their economies recently. These initiatives could serve as models for Cuba moving forward.