Cuba Hopes to Receive 2.9 Million Tourists in 2012

Cuba expects to receive this year 2.9 million foreign tourists, said here Xiomara Martinez, deputy minister of tourism and delegate to the 54th Regional Committee of the World Tourism Organization for the Americas.

Martinez told Prensa Latina they enhance efforts to diversify Cuba as a product beyond sun and beach options such as the events and conventions, nature, and multi-destination tourism in the region.

Cuban tourism has its major strength in its natural and historical wealth, the formation of human resources, air connectivity with 45 lines operating in ten airports, and implementation of environmental strategies.

She said that Cuba has about 58,000 hotel rooms to meet tourism, but the plan of infrastructure development from 2013 to 2016 includes the construction of 10,000 more capacities.

Martinez highlighted that Cuban authorities give priority to the development of six areas with high biodiversity, which re-boost tourism in these environments. Martinez added that Cuba studies new possibilities of multi-destination tourism for promoting the increase of visitors from points near its geography in the Caribbean.

She reiterated that the U.S. blockade against Cuba is still an obstacle to attract tourists in large size, as the arrival of cruise ships to Cuban ports; however, she said, Cuba has achieved establishing distribution channels of its tourism products.