Expedia.com Joining Booking.com With Cuba Accommodation Booking Platforms
/Your Room in Cuba is Ready: Expedia Opens Cuba Hotel Market for Consumers Worldwide
Travelers can now book hotels in Cuba through global Expedia, Inc. websites
SEATTLE, WA – May 23, 2017 – Expedia, Inc., the world’s largest online travel company, announced today that travelers can now book hotels in Cuba on its global points of sale, including Expedia.com®, Hotels.com®, Travelocity®, Orbitz®, and CheapTickets®. Cuba continues to generate interest as a hot destination among travelers; its Ministry of Tourism reported more than four million foreign visitors in 2016, with the biggest increase in visitor numbers from the U.S.[i]
From the colorful and historic streets of Havana and Hemmingway’s homestead in San Francisco de Paula, to the cobbled colonial town of Trinidad and beyond, travelers from around the world can today leverage Expedia sites to research and book properties throughout Cuba. With hotel options spanning from the east to the west side of the island, there will be no shortage of accomodations for consumers to choose from, including Pinar Del Rio, Camaguey, and Santiago de Cuba. Expedia has been closely working with local Cuban partners to bring travelers to this widely-anticipated market, and make the hotel booking process as easy as possible.
“We’ve been working around the clock with our partners to be able to offer this iconic, culture-rich destination to our global customers, with the added convenience of online booking through a trusted travel partner,” said Mario Ribera, vice president of market management for Latin America. “As one of the first U.S. companies to offer hotel bookings in Cuba for individual travelers, we’re well-poised to bring new consumers into the market, further strengthening the value proposition with our partners.”
“We are excited to make Barceló properties in Cuba accessible to travelers on Expedia platforms around the world,” said, Josep Brichs, Corporate Commercial Director for Barceló Hotel Group Latin America. “We are very proud Barcelo Solymar and Barceló Arenas Blancas in Varadero have been one of the first bookings made on Expedia upon the opening of the destination. Expedia is a key partner and our priority is to develop new opportunities on the international travel industry together."
Both U.S. and non-U.S. travelers can research and book their Cuba accommodations in compliance with OFAC regulations on Expedia points-of-sale globally with U.S. travelers certifying thattheir travel falls under one of 12 categories of authorized travel, including family visits, travel for government work, journalism, professional research, humanitarian work and educational activities, and “people-to-people” educational travel, among others and with non-U.S travelers confirming that they are not subject to U.S. jurisdiction.
About Expedia, Inc.
Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE) is the world’s largest online travel company, with an extensive brand portfolio that includes leading online travel brands, such as:
- Expedia.com®, a leading full-service online travel brand with localized sites in 33 countries
- Hotels.com®, a leading global lodging expert operating 89 localized websites in 39 languages with its award winning Hotels.com® Rewards loyalty program
- Expedia® Affiliate Network (EAN), a global B2B brand that powers the hotel business of hundreds of leading airlines, travel agencies, loyalty and corporate travel companies plus several top consumer brands through its API and template solutions
- trivago®, a leading online hotel search platform with sites in 55 countries worldwide
- HomeAway®, a global online marketplace for the vacation rental industry, which also includes the VRBO®, VacationRentals.com® and BedandBreakfast.com® brands, among others
- Egencia®, a leading corporate travel management company
- Orbitz.com® and CheapTickets.com®, leading U.S. travel websites, as well as ebookers®, a full service travel brand with websites in seven European countries
- Travelocity®, a leading online travel brand in the U.S. and Canada delivering customer service when and where our customers need it with the Customer First Guarantee
- Hotwire®, inspiring spontaneous travel through Hot Rate® deals
- Wotif Group, a leading portfolio of travel brands including Wotif.com®, Wotif.co.nz, lastminute.com.au®, lastminute.co.nz and travel.com.au®
- Expedia® Media Solutions, the advertising sales division of Expedia, Inc. that builds creative media partnerships and enables brand advertisers to target a highly-qualified audience of travel consumers
- CarRentals.com™, a premier online car rental booking company with localized sites in 13 countries
- Classic Vacations®, a top luxury travel specialist
- Expedia Local Expert®, a provider of online and in-market concierge services, activities, experiences and ground transportation in over a thousand destinations worldwide
- Expedia® CruiseShipCenters®, a provider of exceptional value and expert advice for travelers booking cruises and vacations through its network of over 235 retail travel agency franchises across North America
