FITCuba 2013 Opens as Cuba’s Tourism Minister Highlights the Importance of Caribbean Tourism Integration

Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero highlighted today the importance of working to boosting tourist integration as one more step towards achieving the dream of a greater Latin American and Caribbean homeland.

During a work meeting with representatives from different countries in the area, Marrero told Prensa Latina that this would be a great tourist homeland where visitors would be able to travel from one country to the other, sharing and enjoying all attractions our region boasts.

In the current situation we face, multi-destination becomes an essential element that can give an answer to the people who can use their money and time best, meeting many expectations in only one trip and living different emotions and experiences, he said.
Mr. Marrero defended sustainable tourism to face the tough challenge to develop a sound economy and increase the quality of life of our peoples.

UNWTO director for the Americas, Carlos Vogeler, underscored the progress the Caribbean island nation has made in the advance of the local travel industry, boasting growth rates above average figures worldwide. Mr. Vogeler also insisted in the need to work on multi-destination, a segment of increasing important when it comes to securing sustainable and orderly tourism in the Caribbean.

He also highlighted the need to come up with a roadmap in that sense, an effort Cuba has properly embarked on in a bid to put the whole region on the front burner around the globe.

As to the 33rd edition of the International Tourism Fair (FITCuba 2013), Mr. Vogeler said the fair is getting more and more importance and recognition as a benchmark event within the Caribbean region.

“This is the right place for the Caribbean island nation to showcase the products it puts on the market, its innovations and the new destinations the country is drawing a bead on,” Mr. Vogeler said.

The work meeting at the Havana-based National Hotel was attended by representatives from Nicaragua, Venezuela, Jamaica, Mexico, among other countries of the region, on the eve of the inauguration of the International Tourism Fair (FITCuba 2013) to be held on May 7-11.