You might think other Caribbean tourism destinations would be ready to flip their sandals as Cuba's tourism numbers continue to climb.
International visitors to Cuba last year rose by 13.9 percent to a record of just over 4 million, second only to the Dominican Republic (5.96 million). Meanwhile, international tourist arrivals in the Caribbean region as a whole increased 4.2 percent in 2016, according to provisional data from the Caribbean Tourism Organization. Cuban tourism officials are expecting another record year in 2017.
But some Caribbean leaders say they view the Cuban tourism juggernaut not so much as competition, but as a way to raise the profile of the entire Caribbean tourism industry.
"Cuba opening up is a fantastic thing for the Caribbean," said St. Lucia Prime Minister Allen M. Chastanet. "It only strengthens the brand of the Caribbean. It's more important for all of us to be strong partners. The more Jamaica grows, the more potential clients there are for St. Lucia. It's the same with Cuba."
During the first four months of 2017, Cuba received 2 million international visitors, putting it on track to smash last year's record. But Jamaica also was breaking tourism records during the same period. The Gleaner newspaper reported Jamaica had a record winter season, pulling in $1 billion in tourism earnings. Overnight visitors and cruise passengers combined were up 13.6 percent compared to the 2016 winter season.
"Cuba is huge into Latin America, Europe and Canada and now even the United States of America," Chastanet said. "There are a lot of people who haven't come to the Caribbean, and now maybe coming to Cuba will give them the appetite to come to the rest of the Caribbean islands."
A new International Monetary Fund study on the potential impact on the rest of the Caribbean if tourism from the United States to Cuba eventually opens up concludes that one destination's gain isn't necessarily another's loss.
Currently, the United States allows U.S. travelers who fall into 12 categories, such as those making family visits to the island, on people-to-people tours or on religious or humanitarian missions, to visit Cuba. But U.S. regulations still don't allow American travelers to make conventional tourism trips where they just lounge on the beach.
If those travel restrictions are lifted, the IMF paper says, it could result in 3 million to 5.6 million U.S. arrivals in Cuba _ with most of the boost coming from new tourists to the Caribbean. Last year, visits by Cuban Americans and other U.S. travelers to Cuba totaled 614,433, a 34 percent increase.
Another recent analysis by The Boston Consulting Group estimated that even with current U.S. restrictions on travel to Cuba, as many as 2 million American travelers could visit Cuba annually by 2025. Even without the recent influx of American travelers, Cuba would still rank as the No. 2 destination in the Caribbean.
While it's still unclear what the administration may do on Cuba travel policy, last month the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act was reintroduced in the Senate with the support of 55 senators. It would eliminate all travel restrictions for Americans.
