C O N T E X T 1 3 0 : J U LY 2 0 1 3 37 price was secured for sugar exports. But the collapse of the USSR led to acute shortages of both food and oil. Investment in social services such as education and health has since resulted in a long-lived and 100 per cent literate population of around 11 million, with 2.1 million in the capital city of Havana. But many of the former middle class emigrated to the USA through the 1960s. Florida is only 90 miles away at the closest points, and this large expatriate group has exerted exceptional influence on successive US governments. In the last year groups have been allowed in from the USA to visit cultural attractions, while strong links have been developed with Canada. Many tourists also come from other Latin American countries and Western Europe, making tourism the main source of foreign currency, and a major employer. Many of those trained in subjects such as medicine and engineering are attracted into tourism because it offers much higher incomes in convertible currencies. Initial attempts to document and interpret the island’s unique history led to ingenious initiatives to turn Cuba’s heritage into hard cash. Havana’s Historian secured a budget for improvements in 1981 from the Cuban government. In 1982 UNESCO designated the first of a series of world heritage sites, which made it much easier to justify putting scarce public resources into conservation. The goals are to conserve not only the physical fabric, but also the social qualities that make the area so special.The historic area covers some 14 hectares between the harbour and just beyond the old city walls, including part of the waterside promenade known as the Malecon.The core is pedestrianised, and traffic is largely confined to bike taxis. Car parks have been provided on the edges, and there are large numbers of taxis, many of them old American cars from the 40s and 50s, which add to city’s special atmosphere. Repaving the four main squares and streets between them, and landscaping small pocket parks where buildings had been demolished, helped create the confidence needed to attract foreign investment. Joint ventures with international hotel chains were set up for some 18 hotels.The first was the HotelValencia, one of many private mansions built around courtyards. In the historic centre there are just two joint ventures linked to the Historian’s Office: an office building (the first built in Havana in 1907–1909 and totally rehabilitated in 1995–1996) and the Saratoga. Forty-five per cent of the revenues of all commercial activity funds under the control of the Historian go into new investments to provide physical renovation, and 35 per cent into social programmes, which are seen as equally important. The other 20 per cent is used for new projects, such as a contribution to the rehabilitation of the national art schools. Major work is under way to improve the infrastructure, such as new water pipes.The comprehensive plan of rehabilitation of the historic centre is reviewed every five years after a survey to establish occupation and the state of the buildings. About 30 per cent had been accomplished between 1993 and 2004, and work is under way on a number of sites where no more than shells remain. Some 70,000 people live in the 14 hectares of the Traffic in the historic area is largely confined to bike taxis.
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