The Contribution of International Residential Mobility to Tourism Development: Cienfuegos City, Cuba

Abstract

This chapter presents the study of the international residential mobility towards family-owned houses (hostales) which are offered to the market as an option for tourist accommodation in Cienfuegos City, Cuba. The general objective is to assess the contribution of international residential mobility to the revitalization of the residential real-estate sector for tourist accommodation in private rental houses (hostales) in the mentioned city. The method carried out to obtain data was based on the application of a structured survey to 150 enterprising owners of the private rental houses, between the months of July and August 2019, in their own houses; the questionnaire included 17 questions; for the analysis and interpretation of the data, statistical methods were used. As a result, it is verified that international residential mobility promoted by Cuban residents abroad and other foreigners has encouraged residential real-estate investment for tourism purposes in Cienfuegos city, enhancing the supply of an alternative type of accommodation in private rental houses, which favours the enjoyment of this historical-cultural destination, and its surroundings.