Partial shortage of cigars and cigarettes at Havana´s local shops is due to increasing consumption and hoarding and other reasons, according to local media.

Private business in Cuba have hired a total of 100 thousand 448 employees up to last September, which is in tune with the promotion of the new non-state employment modality.

A national audit to take place from October 20 to November 28 will target the performance of the new cooperatives set up in non-agriculture areas, with the objective of controlling and helping their appropriate development.

Mexico will increase quotas to import Cuban rum and cigars, as part of a renegotiation of the Economic Complementary Agreement (ACE 51) between the two countries.

Cuban and Japanese business executives considered opportunities to expand commercial cooperation and the signing of new accords, during a joint conference held this week in Havana.

The elimination of the circulation of the double currency and exchange rate in Cuba is a high priority and challenge for the island banking system.

The US economic blockade of Cuba makes it very difficult and costly to undertake important investment on the island's sugar industry, said the director of Industrial Plants with the sugar sector in the eastern province of Camaguey Erduin Delgado.

The most recent figures on tourist arrivals in Cuba, published by the National Statistics Office (ONE) appear as a good sign following a 6.7 percent increase for August, if compared to same month of 2013.

Cuba expects the visits of 200 cruise ships in the upcoming winter season, the largest number of calls by those boats ever, according to a Tourism official cited by specialized media.

In an effort to make more attractive and diverse its tourism product, Cuba is committed to develop nautical activities, a modality with great potential but little exploited to date.

The Italian Club in Sao Paulo was the venue of "The Best Ten of Tourism," a meeting where the most notable executives, companies and tourist destinations in 2014 received prizes. Cuba's Consul General to Sao Paulo, Nelida Hernandez, received the award given to the island as Best International Destination, from the hands of Paulo Roberto Miranda, President of the Brazil Travel News magazine, which celebrated the 30th anniversary of its founding.

Cuba's Amistur tourist agency presented at France's Top Resa International Tourism Fair a proposal based on visits that combine history, culture and identity in order to promote people-to-people exchange.

Spain's hotel chain Melia International will open a new hotel on the Jardines del Rey keys to operate during the upcoming winter season.

About 200 of the more than 700 rent houses existing in Viñales town have signed to date contracts with Cubatur, Havanatur and Cubanacan agencies, in keeping with the politics drawn in the 6th Communist Party Congress, Granma newspaper published today.