Marazul Miami Travel

What Marazul Miami Travel does

Marazul Miami Travel is a privately held, founder-owned travel agency founded in 1979 by Francisco Aruca in Miami, Florida, specializing in travel between the United States and Cuba. The company is positioned as the oldest and largest continuously operating US-Cuba travel agency, with operations spanning seven presidential administrations and weathering significant legal and political challenges including a 1985 Treasury Department subpoena and bombings in 1986, 1989, and 1996.

The company offers an integrated suite of Cuba-focused travel products: airline bookings (regular and charter services to Cuba and select Caribbean destinations like Nassau, Cancun, and Punta Cana), hotel accommodations across more than a dozen Cuban properties ranging from $38 to $164 per night, car rentals at $90-$135 per day, and specialized themed travel programs including Civil Society, Gender, and Education System programs priced at $944-$1,237. Additional services include consular processing for Cuban passports and visas, described as the largest such provider for Cubans in the United States. There is no proprietary technology platform; distribution occurs through physical offices (Little Havana and Hialeah), toll-free phone sales, email inquiries, and a content-driven website with Spanish/English bilingual support.

Marazul's revenue model is transaction-fee based across its travel and consular service lines, serving a horizontal mix of customer segments including Cuban-American family travelers, business delegations, educational institutions (high schools and universities), religious organizations (Pastors for Peace and others), and professional associations. The company holds ARC and IATA certifications enabling direct ticket issuance, is a Florida-registered seller of travel (ST38933), and is a co-founder of the RESPECT association promoting ethical Cuba travel. No external funding, acquisitions, or leadership transitions are documented; the business remains founder-operated with 11-50 employees.

Name

Marazul Miami Travel

Legal name

Marazul Miami Travel

Website

https://marazul.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Marazul Miami Travel is a privately held, founder-owned Miami-based travel agency founded in 1979, specializing in US-Cuba travel including flights, hotels, car rentals, themed group programs, and consular services for Cuban-Americans and institutional clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Agency Services

NAICS

Travel Agencies (56151), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Island, Beach & Resort Travel Agencies (THAKAFAL)

Keywords

• Cuba travel services
• Travel agency bookings
• Flight booking services
• Car rental services
• Consular visa services

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Airline Bookings: Marazul arranges flights to Cuba including regular and charter services, securing airfare and processing bookings for travelers.
2. Hotel and Accommodation Bookings: The company provides reservations and booking services for hotels throughout Cuba, offering expert advice and flexible reservations.
3. Car Rentals: Car rental arrangements in Cuba with pickup at airports or hotels, prepaid in the United States.
4. Consular Services: Cuban passport services, special visas, and tourist visas processing for Cubans in the United States. Marazul is described as the biggest consular services provider for Cubans in the US.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Marazul Miami Travel is a US-based travel agency specializing in arranging travel from the United States to Cuba. The company sells flight bookings (regular and charter airlines), hotel accommodations across Cuban properties, prepaid car rentals, consular services for Cuban passports and visas, and curated themed travel programs covering topics such as Cuban civil society, gender studies, and the Cuban education system. It also arranges family reunification travel for Cuban-Americans and supports licensed group, business, educational, and religious travel programs operating within OFAC's 12 travel categories.

Product overview

Marazul Miami Travel operates as a travel agency platform specializing in Cuba travel services. The company offers an integrated suite of travel products including flight bookings, car rentals, hotel accommodations, and specialized tour programs. The core offering centers on travel to Cuba with services spanning airfare, visa processing, consular services, and curated travel programs. The company serves both groups and individuals, specializing in business travel and themed programs covering areas such as civil society, gender studies, and education. Additional services include car rentals with various vehicle categories and hotel reservations across Cuban properties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Amistur (Cuban Friendship Institute's Travel Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1996Amistur opened its doors in 1996 as the Cuban Friendship Institute's travel agency. Marazul was their first US partner, establishing the relationship when the agency was founded.
• RESPECT (Responsible and Ethical Cuba Travel)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarazul is a co-founder of RESPECT, a professional association promoting ethical and responsible Cuba travel. RESPECT unites nonprofit entities, travel agents, tour operators, and providers dedicated to practicing and promoting ethical and socially responsible travel to Cuba.
• Cuban Ministry of Tourism and Licensed Tour OperatorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarazul works with all authorized Cuban Tour Operators (as per Cuban regulations) and has all necessary contracts and licensing. They have relationships with Cuban hotels, institutions, and partners throughout the island.
• Cuban Educational InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarazul has established relationships with many of the top secondary institutions in Cuba for educational group travel programs.
• Cuban Religious InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeep ties with many religious leaders and institutions in Cuba, including Jewish community, Catholic, episcopal, evangelical, and Muslim communities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Booking.com: Global OTA with scale in accommodation distribution and group booking tools. Comparable to Marazul on the accommodation side of its business and as a digital incumbent that could commoditize Marazul's hotel booking commissions if Cuba inventory becomes broadly bookable.
• JetBlue: US carrier with historical and ongoing scheduled Cuba service out of Florida. Comparable as a broad incumbent supplier of Cuba flights and as a future competitor if normalization opens the route to mass-market distribution.
• American Airlines: One of the major US carriers that has operated scheduled service to Cuba and is a key supplier to Marazul's flight bookings. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the US-Cuba travel corridor with overlapping capability to deliver travelers to Cuba, though not specialized in Marazul's niche.
• Expedia: Global OTA with the inventory breadth and digital platform to absorb Cuba travel if US restrictions normalize. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose entry into Cuba would directly pressure Marazul's pricing and conversion in the leisure segment.

Direct peers

• Amistur: The Cuban Friendship Institute's travel agency, which opened in 1996 with Marazul as its first US partner. Comparable as a Cuba-specialist travel agency with deep institutional access, operating from the Cuban side of the same end market.
• Cubanacan: Major Cuban state-owned tourism entity operating hotels, tours, and ground services across Cuba. Comparable to Marazul because it is one of the authorized Cuban tour operators Marazul books through, and competes for the same end Cuba traveler at the in-country experience layer.
• Caribbean Travel & Tours: Miami-based travel agency specializing in Cuba and Caribbean travel, offering flights, hotels, and group packages comparable to Marazul's core inventory and competing for the same Cuban-American and group customers in South Florida.
• Havanatur: Cuba's state-affiliated tourism agency and one of Marazul's Cuban-side counterparts, offering packaged travel to Cuba from international source markets. Comparable as a Cuba-focused tour operator with similar hotel, transfer, and group program inventory.
• Cuba Travel Services (CTS): One of the longest-standing US-based travel agencies specializing in Cuba travel from Miami. Directly comparable to Marazul in product mix (flights, hotels, group programs) and target customer (US travelers to Cuba), competing for the same Cuban-American and group-booking demand.

Emerging players

• InsightCuba: US-based nonprofit-affiliated program operator running licensed people-to-people educational trips to Cuba. Comparable to Marazul's themed/group program business (e.g., Civil Society, Education System programs) as a mission-driven competitor for institutional and educational group bookings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/marazulmiami
• Instagraminstagram.com/marazulmiami
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marazul-miami-travel-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Marazul Miami Travel