More than a million visitors to Cuba this year

Cuba receives its first million visitors ahead of schedule.

HAVANA, Cuba, Thursday, Apr 12, 2012 – During the first quarter of 2012 Cuba had already received one million tourists, according to a recent announcement by the Cuban Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR).

According to MINTUR, during the first three months of this year, the number of arrivals had grown by 4 percent while the tourism industry’s revenues showed a 12 percent growth.

MINTUR experts said Russia had become its main source of travellers, along with Canada, Argentina, Italy, UK and Germany.

In the first three months of 2012 over 26 000 Russians visited Cuba almost double the figure of the same period last year. In 2011, Cuba received over 2.7 million visitors, including 78 500 Russians. Previously Canada had been its biggest source market.

Late last year, Cuban minister of tourism, Manuel Marrero, announced that tourist arrivals in Cuba were expected to increase by 2012 with the entrance of about 2.9 million foreign visitors.

International tourism is a key sector for Cuba’s development. As part of the upgrading of the Cuban economy model, authorities plan to open new air routes and build golf courses, among other ways of capitalising on its growing tourism market. Click here to receive free news bulletins via email from Caribbean360. (View sample)