The COVID-19 pandemic prevented the Popular Camping Company from celebrating as it would have liked the first four decades of a recreation initiative promoted by the Historical Leader of the Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz.

Las Tunas, Cuba.- However, its directors trust that an eventual improvement in the epidemiological situation in the second half of the year will allow them to re-promote the main option of tourism for the Cuban family.

Since March last year, the entity has spent most of its time serving as a key link in the fight against SARS-CoV-2, by using its facilities for the isolation of people as part of the containment actions against this disease. To date, more than 22 thousand people have been confined in its premises, of which 12 thousand are patients, and more than 10 thousand are health workers of various specialties or roles.

"Providing people with adequate attention has been our priority," José Hernández, general director of Popular Camping in Las Tunas, said moments before the brief ceremony for the 40 years of the Company began.

"Our workers have done their best and that is worthy of recognition as well," he said. In this context, he added, they opened other options such as the sale of processed food to take for the residents in the communities near the camping sites, not only to keep their internal finances afloat, but also to provide those neighbors with a necessary service in a context of limited mobility.

ORDERING AND HOPE FOR THE SUMMER

The group of Popular Camping in Las Tunas is seriously committed that the combined effect of advances in immunization and the success of the Cuban strategy to confront the pandemic will allow resuming its typical activities in the second half of 2021, and fully in 2022. They have not stopped preparing for that moment, Vega Hernández said.

Within what the tense economic situation of the country has allowed, he said, they undertook some actions to improve the construction state of their facilities for the summer season. So, when the sanitary panorama of the province allows it, do it in the best possible conditions. When that full reopening occurs, he insisted, the hygiene guidelines successfully implemented the previous summer will be maintained.

On the other hand, he explained that the monetary ordering process forced them to rethink the price system, including those of recreation areas and transportation much demanded by vacationers. In this regard, he assured that the contacts with the suppliers have enabled them to be on the path of establishing more affordable prices than those originally planned. "Those steps have been consolidated," he assured.

The director of Popular Camping in this province anticipated that the total restart of the usual activity would bring other news concerning the mechanisms for reservation. "We are creating the conditions for this to be done from computer platforms, not only for the capacities here but even in other campsites in the country."

This, he specified, would be possible thanks to the improvement of the connectivity infrastructure in the units. In the longer term, probably in 2022, they intend to rescue the original modality of accommodation in tents, in areas of Lago Azul and Los Pinos, in Manatí, and Punta Corella.

The Popular Camping was founded on May 16, 1981, as Fidel's initiative to put Cubans in contact with healthy recreation options. It began in this province a year later, at the Aguada de Vázquez camping site, in the municipality of Puerto Padre. Currently, the Company employs 319 workers in eight facilities; six of which are destined for accommodation services and two extra-hotel.