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Cuba, the country that many people want to know
Last year Cuba received 2,319, 334 visitors, the
largest total to date. 26th International Tourism
Fair underway
BY MARIAGNY TASET AGUILAR—Granma
daily staff writer—
LAST year, Cuba welcomed 2,319,
334 foreign visitors, the highest annual figure to
date, and which represents a growth of 13.2% in
relation to 2004, affirmed Manuel Marrero Cruz,
minister of tourism, during the opening of the 26th
International Tourism Fair.
Marrero highlighted the
implementation of innovative strategies as the
principal reason for those results, as the period in
question was difficult for world tourism. During the
last five years, he noted, the crude propaganda
campaign against the sector on the island has
reached its peak and the tightening of the U.S.
blockade provoked considerable losses in the
economic order.
Nevertheless, he stated, “this
year we are aspiring to welcome 2.5 million tourists
and thus grow by 7.7% (to date the increase is at
3.3%). We reached the one-million figure on May 6,
with a record of more than 66,900 visitors lodged
per day.”
The minister likewise highlighted
the termination of 1,500 hotel rooms and the
upcoming handover of 3,000 renovated ones. More than
1,000 vehicles have been incorporated into the
foreign transportation fleet and flights to various
principal markets have been increased, as well as
new promotion offices in Venezuela, China and
Holland.
The new edition of the most important event in the
Cuban tourism industry runs from May 9-12 in the San
Carlos de la Cabaña Fortress in the capital. It is
dedicated to China and Venezuela and includes
meetings of hundreds of foreign specialists in the
sphere, who will receive information on the latest
innovations in the sector on the island.
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