Cuba: Increasing Tourist Arrivals

Havana, Apr 11. -The number of tourists arrivals in Cuba reached the one million mark on Sunday, 13 days earlier than last year, the Ministry of Tourism said in a press release.

Cuba saw 10.4 percent growth in tourism during the first quarter, boosted by visitors from Canada, Russia, Argentina, the UK, Chile, Poland, Venezuela and Belgium, the note said.

Cruise ship arrivals are also boosting those figures, and hotel rooms have been added in Cayo Santa Maria, north of Villa Clara, and Varadero, the top Cuban beach resort.

Other factors in that growth are renovated hotels throughout the country and better-quality, more diverse products, the press release said, making the country known as a destination of peace, health and safety.

The note included tourism highlights of this year, such as the international underwater photography event April 10-14 on the Isle of Youth, and the 31st FITCUBA International Tourism Fair, May 2-7.

The Ministry of Tourism websites cubatravel.cu and autenticacuba.com reported that Cuba could receive as many as 2.7 million tourists from all over the world this year, especially from Europe and Canada. (Prensa Latina)