La papeleta, created to post cultural information on CUBARTE website, begins to provide online servicies of bookings and sales of performances at cultural institutions in Havana city.

Ministry of Culture of Cuba is part of some actions aimed at computarization and digital transformation in Cuba from the desing, development and  implementation of a macro project called "Plataforma de gestion integral de la informacion cultural" (Comprenhensive managment platform for cultural information, as a component of La Papeleta is one of its components.

at computarization and digital transformation in Cuba from the desing, development and  implementation of a macro project called "Plataforma de gestion integral de la informacion cultural" or comprenhensive managment platform for cultural information, as a component of La Papeleta.

La Papeleta, created in 2013, as high-tech cultural billboard, adds a new service of e-commerce in order to book and sale performances in  Havana through transfermovil Cuban application by the Cuban Metropolitano Bank. Shortly, other ways of payment, banks, as well as some other places will  be included.

Yanet Tome, who is vice director of buissnesses in CUBARTE, gave a wide explanation for those interested in this kind of service. She noted that these on line services are helpful for the users since now they do not have to go to those cultural institutions and make big lines to buy tickects.

She added that the customers have the posibility to select different shows, taking into account the availabilityof the cultural instutions at the moment of selecting. They can also have access to plans of theaters, visualize free seats, prices, maximum quantity of bookings. Besides, they can get the QR code (quick response code), a type of two dimensional bar code that is used to provide easy access to online information, through transfermovil application.

What technical conditions do the users need to book and pay the selected performances or concerts?

First of all, they need access to internet, a device to connect themselves to to the network, as well as an email of easy access.

How can they access the platform?

Users can navigate La Papeleta on the Cubarte website through internet filters to get what it seems attractive for them. In order to facilitate the booking process, a button with that name was added to the global navigation menu of the website. When you access it, you will find the performances or concerts that allow you to book. When you select one of them, you should begin the registration process, if it is the first time that you carry out such action.

We have a User Manual, which can be downloaded right here, and which contains each step to be followed by the user, who can reserve a certain number of seats for a presentation, but has the right to reserve several at the same time.

Can you tell us what stage of the project is?

It is in the final stage. As implementation of this kind of service, we are carrying out now the commercialization of a small group of seats for the performance of the Acosta Danza Cuban dance company at the National Theater. That will also serve as a definitive test related to technical and organizational details that are required. Then we will include other payment gateways; progressively we will incorporate Cuban Banks such as BANDEC and Banco Popular de Ahorro. Subsequently, we will venture into the booking and possible sales for those users that do not have savings accounts in the aforementioned banks.

What are the future projections of booking for La Papeleta in terms of products to be marketed?

We will be including other institutions and performances. We have schemes of several theaters of all over the country and we will be progressively adding them too.

Are you planning to expand such service to other institutions in Cuba?

 Yes, we are, but it is something that we plan to do for a second state in terms of information.

Finally, Tome stressed that this provision of La Papeleta, which has a great benefit for the Cuban population, it has been possible in alliance with other Cuban companies such as Cuban Telecommunications Company ETECSA, the Metropolitano Bank, and the National Council for the Performing Arts, the National Theater of Cuba, and with the support of the Ministry of Communications.