Are offenses against tourists in Cuba considered serious?
A. The sugar industry, once the main generating source of income on the island (now producing less money due to the drop in sugar prices from 13.28 cents a pound in 1995 to about 6 cents now) has been overtaken by the tourist industry as the most important source of money. Therefore, any offense against a tourist is serious and likely to result in a jail sentence. Cuba has become so dependent on tourism that the State will not tolerate any infraction by a Cuban that could hurt the industry.
