Entrevista a Gustavo Jarussi, Gerente Regional de Operações do Grupo Pestana

Durante uma das sessões da Feira Internacional de Turismo, FITCuba 2015, conversamos em exclussiva para Caribbean News Digital com Gustavo Jarussi, quem é o Gerente Regional do Grupo Pestana. Este Grupo gere em Cuba o Hotel Pestana Cayo Coco Beach Resort, de 4 estrelas, e 508 habitações,  que funciona em regime “todo incluído”, através de um contrato com o grupo turístico cubano Gaviota.

O Grupo Pestana gere mais de 90 unidades no Portugal e no estrangeiro, possui nove mil habitações em Europa, África e América Latina onde trabalham mais sete mil empregados. Segundo arevista americana Hotels, o Grupo Pestana ocupa a posição 115 entre as 300 principais empresas hoteleiras do mundo.

Quais são as suas responsabilidades dentro da companhia?

— Minha responsabilidade dentro de Pestana como grupo está focada em Caracas, Venezuela; Bogotá, Colômbia; e Cayo Coco em Cuba. Sou responsável por essa região norte de América do Sul. Nós iniciamos nossas operações em Cuba em 1 de agosto de 2013. Nesse primeiro momento, como o contrato foi assinado a metade de ano, no ano completo foi a partir de 2014. O resultado foi muito positivo e, a ponto de completar o segundo ano, posso dizer que os primeiros quatro meses e no quinto mês que se aproxima, maio, dentro do prognóstico que temos, se mostra um resultado melhor que o mesmo período do ano passado.

As expectativas de Cayo Coco têm sido satisfatórias para vocês?

—A expectativa é boa, o destino Cuba é bom, melhor ainda com todo o que aconteceu no último ano. O que passa com os ilhotes e se lhe deve prestar muita atenção com a abertura dos novos hotéis, é que esses só se vão encher por uma simples razão: por chegar em voos praticamente diretos para esses ilhotes que têm suas ofertas disponíveis.  Fazendo uma conta básica de um avião normal de 285 cadeiras, a densidade de 3 por habitação, estamos a dizer que um avião deste porte num destino como Cayo Coco, por exemplo, é responsável somente de 2% da ocupação de um ilhote. Para que tenhas uma ocupação de 70% precisas 35 aviões desses semanais. Isso se consegue em mercados como Canadá, nos períodos de dezembro, janeiro, até maio.          

O grande repto é que a cada operadora e a cada hotel façam sua força para aumentar esses voos para o destino. Nós no ano passado tivemos a oportunidade de ter em Cayo Coco o voo de EuroAtlantic, que foi operado por Sonhando, junto com todas as operadoras do Portugal. Esse voo, por exemplo, veio com 92% de ocupação durante o período completo do ano passado. Ainda assim, essas 11 saídas que tiveram representam 2% de ocupação no ilhote como um tudo. Se fosse um hotel, única e exclusivamente, aí sim seria perfeito, seria o 18% da ocupação de um hotel. No entanto, sabemos que o cliente escolhe o hotel onde deseja se hospedar.

Nossa perspectiva é que sempre tenha mais pessoas interessadas em pôr voos diretos para os lhotes que tenham suas propriedades operadas.

Neste ano manter-se-á o acordo com Sonhando e EuroAtlantic?

—O acordo sempre é com EuroAtlantic. Sonhando opera os voos de EuroAtlantic, que é uma empresa onde o Grupo Pestana tem uma participação, mas é mérito de EuroAtlantic, na figura de seu presidente, Tomás Metelo, e do Diretor de Sonhando Jose Manuel Antunes em crer e trabalhar o destino Cuba. Neste ano está a lançar-se uma segunda operação, em Varadero. No ano passado começou com uma frequência e agora já são duas frequências para Cuba.

Quantas habitações têm em Cuba?

—Nós somente temosCayo Coco, com 508 habitações.

Próximo projeto?

—Já essas são negociações com nosso Departamento de Desenvolvimento, com nosso CEO Luís Araújo. São informações que ainda não estão suficientemente maduras para poder estar a dar progressos sobre novos projetos.

Que proporção obtêm vocês vendendo com o seu próprio tour-operador e com o chárter em seu hotel?

—Uma da cada três reservas é feita no hotel. Em termos percentuais, no início da operação onde há outras marcas em Cuba com melhor posicionamento pelo tempo que têm na Ilha, temos considerado um bom resultado tendo em conta que não temos feito um voo sozinho para nosso hotel. Temos que ter a sabedoria para nos dar conta de que estamos a entrar num mercado novo e há competidores importantes, com presença e força de nome, que podem impulsionar o chárter como tal. Nesse aspecto pensa-se em Cuba como destino e não só Cayo Coco como hotel de Pestana.               

Que importância tem para vocês a gastronomia dentro do seu serviço hoteleiro?

—A parte gastronómica é muito importante, porque essa é uma das fortalezas do hotel com seu serviço à carte. Ao ser uma empresa portuguesa praticamente podemos dizer que somos únicos nesse tema gastronómico, não só em Cayo Coco, senão em Cuba. Estamos em conversas para que neste segundo ano conseguamos ter mais proveito do espaço de ónus dos voos e poder trazer mais coisas típicas do Portugal para ampliar a oferta gastronómica, tanto no ilhote como em Cuba.

Quem é o seu sócio no ilhote?

—O hotel é de Gaviota.

Dentro da estrutura e de suas responsabilidades estão a Colômbia e Caracas. Que ocupação tem o seu hotel na Colômbia e de que países são os turistas?

—Na Colômbia mantemos uma ocupação acima do 60%. Colômbia passa por um amplo desenvolvimento na parte hoteleira, principalmente por leis de incentivo a esse setor, onde todas as pessoas que invistam em produtos hoteleiros até o ano 2017 têm 30 anos de graça na parte dos impostos.

Muitas correntes hoteleiras têm entrado, muitos hotéis particulares, aparte de quatro correntes familiares conhecidas que tinha na Colômbia. Isso provocou que tivesse uma pequena baixa na ocupação, nas médias diárias.

Nós entramos muito contentes em 2012 à cidade de Bogotá, uma cidade que praticamente é corporate e se move de segunda-feira a quinta-feira. Os fins de semana movem-se com pacotes e há uma dinâmica muito forte.

Vão investir em praia na Colômbia?

—O mesmo CEO responsável aqui, por Cuba, é também a pessoa que está a ver outras opções na Colômbia e abrir-se-ão as possibilidades mais adiante.

Caracas é outra responsabilidade sua. É corporate?

—Caracas também é puro corporate. Os primeiros clientes de Caracas são os colombianos, pela proximidade. Depois temos muitos brasileiros pelos acordos que tem Venezuela com Brasil e pelo nome que temos e pelos dez hotéis com que contamos em Brasil. A seguir estão os próprios portugueses, pela corrente, e seguem-lhes em menor número visitantes de Argentina, espanhóis, a cada um representa um pouco mais de 3%. O colombiano que mencionei representa 34%, o brasileiro 13% dessa ocupação.

Enquanto na Colômbia é todo o contrário: o primeiro cliente é Venezuela porque a relação entre os dois países é muito grande. Neste caso do hotel de Bogotá beneficiou-se pelos sete anos que levamos em Caracas. O segundo mercado é Brasil, depois vêm Argentina e Portugal. Praticamente os mesmo mercados onde temos presença de marca.

Onde há mais revenue na operação?

—Essa pergunta é bem interessante porque o revenue, se tomamos o dólar como moeda oficial, temos a Caracas com uma rentabilidade muito interessante. O tema é que financeiramente Caracas tem outros detalhes que não têm outros países.

CADIVI?

—Não só o CADIVI, hoje em dia já não há CADIVI com                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           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O nome é SIMADI e tem algumas pequenas restrições pelo que ainda não temos conseguido nos beneficiar desse novo mecanismo de repatriación de capital.