Cuban tourism upward trend not slowing

HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 12 (acn) Despite dire forecasts on the possibility of Cuban tourism to keep the upward trend shown in the last years, the leisure industry posted a 14.6 percent growth in the first 71 days of 2016.

According to a report issued by the Cuban Ministry of Tourism, (MINTUR by its Spanish acronym) the number of visitors to the island nation reached the one-million mark 11 days ahead of the previous year.
After posting record figures in 2015, when over 3.5 million tourists landed in Cuba for a 17.8 percent growth compared to the year before, some media and experts believed it would be impossible to keep the trend.
But source markets like Germany, the UK, the US, France and Italy continued to increase their operations, along with the largest and most traditional, Canada, which stands for almost a full third of all visitors.
The press release by MINTUR states that all its entities, along the Cuban government and people, work tirelessly to improve quality and the amount of lodgment places to meet the high demand Cuba is facing nowadays.
It also reads that this milestone shows Cuban tourism is one of peace, safety and health. The new strategies of the industry include diversifying offers to go beyond being a sun and sand tourist destination, to become a cultural, historical, nature and event heaven for visitors