Chapter 5: Cuba’s Postwar Tourist Explosion - Havana Before Castro

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# Havana Before Castro by Peter Moruzzi

### When Cuba Was a Tropical Playground

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- Previous Chapter: The Tragedy of Cuban Politics
- Table of Contents
- Next Chapters: Drinking, Dining, and Dancing

#### Chapter 5

## Cuba’s Postwar Tourist Explosion

After World War II, Cuba became the primary exotic destination for Americans who had disposable income and leisure time in contrast with the deprivations of the 1930s. Enticed by Cuban music – the rumba, mambo, and cha cha cha – cultural influences such as television’s sexy Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz, and package tours offering stress-free itineraries, Americans flocked to Havana in ever-increasing numbers.