Cuba continues to explore the expansion of Mir, the Russian payment system, as a practical option for transactions in the island’s tourism sector. The latest statements from the Cuban Ambassador to Russia, Julio Antonio Garmendia Peña, indicate that by year’s end, a broad range of tourist facilities will be equipped to accept Mir cards. This development was shared with the newspaper News, signaling a deliberate rollout strategy aimed at diversifying payment methods for visitors and residents alike.
The ambassador outlined a phased implementation plan that begins with key tourist zones such as Havana, Varadero, and the provinces of Ciego de Avila and Camagüey. The goal is for Mir to become a recognizable alternative to traditional payment channels, providing an option that could help mitigate some of the impact of external restrictions on financial transactions. Officials emphasize that Mir’s availability in these areas is intended to serve as a bridge for commerce in the hospitality, retail, and service sectors within the tourism industry, where foreign visitors are a significant customer base. This approach aligns with broader efforts to ensure smoother financial operations for travel-related services while maintaining regulatory compliance, according to statements reported by News.
Earlier coverage indicated that Cuban authorities anticipated Mir cards would be functional in Cuba by the end of 2023, with a gradual nationwide expansion that would prioritize flagship tourism destinations such as Havana and Varadero, along with the neighboring archipelagos and inland provinces like Ciego de Avila and Camagüey. The plan called for the Mir service to reach a wide array of tourism facilities, including hotel chains, larger retail outlets, and service centers, with the vision of having coverage across the majority of venues serving visitors by year-end. This timeline reflected ongoing conversations among Cuban officials, Russian partners, and sector stakeholders about the most efficient way to integrate Mir into the daily operations of the hospitality and tourism network, as reported by News.
In a related development, mid-November marked the expansion of the Mir system into Venezuela, where officials announced that payments using Mir are now permitted across the country. The Foreign Ministers’ offices indicated that Mir transactions are accepted at a majority of payment points nationwide, highlighting the system’s growing footprint as a regional payment option. This expansion underscored a broader strategy to offer alternative payment rails in contexts where traditional settlement mechanisms may face restrictions, a trend observed by observers and cited in mid-November coverage by News.
Industry observers and tourism professionals note that Mir’s presence in these markets reflects a broader interest from Russian financial services in expanding cross-border payment capabilities. For travelers and tourism service providers in Cuba, Venezuela, and beyond, the Mir network offers a practical method for completing purchases and settling transactions in the local context. As the Cuban capital and its popular destinations continue to attract a steady stream of visitors, the proximity of Mir-enabled facilities to airports, resorts, and commercial districts is viewed as a potential facilitator of smoother guest experiences and more resilient financial operations during periods of external pressure. These developments are being monitored by market participants, with attention to how quickly Mir can scale to meet the demand of a dynamic tourism sector, according to coverage from News and other regional outlets.