March Closed its Doors with an Increase in Tourism in Cuba

HAVANA, Cuba, Apr 1 (acn) Cuba's First Deputy Tourism Minister Alexis Trujillo said on Thursday in Havana that March ended with an increase of 14 per cent in tourism to Cuba. This outcome is encouraging for the sector that is looking to surpass historic figures in 2015.

In statements to the press Trujillo characterized the current period as a good moment for the tourism sector to an expected 175 thousand 200 foreign vacationers more than the previous year.

He added that tourism has been increasing last year and 2015 finished with over 3 million 524 thousand vacationers visited the Caribbean nation making it a record figure.

The deputy Tourism Minister stressed that there are actions underway aimed at a competitive tourism product starting from constructing new hotels in the country in addition to improving its services.

According to the Tourism representatives, the economic plan this year includes 1.3 million pesos for the investment process in the country mainly aimed at increasing room capacity.

There will also be new hotels opening and exploiting over 3 thousand 790 rooms and the recovery and improvement of another 5 thousand 677 mainly in the most popular tourism complexes in the country which are Havana, Varadero and the keys to the north of the island.

To increase the room capacity the state has joined with the private options are available with over 14 thousand homes with lodging and food services. '

Cuba is connected with 60 cities in the world through 54 international airlines that operate towards the main tourism resorts among them Cayo Santa Maria, Jardinesdel Rey, Holguin and Santiago de Cuba.

Cuba has three cruise terminals, 7 international marinas and 39 international diving centers, installations that are currently under an investment process to improve the nautical modality in the archipelago.

After the announcement of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States on December 17th, 2014 the number of visitors have increased dramatically.

However, experts calculate that 161 thousand 233 people from the US visited Cuba in 2015 with an increase of 79 percent above what was registered the previous year under the 12 general licenses approved by President Barack Obama.