Cuba and it´s dynamic tourism within the Caribbean.
It´s noticeable when I walk throughout the streets of my city that there are many more tourists than in previous years; and I confess, it makes me happy.
I will refer to the available statistics. The data shown in the Caribbean Basin, is that Cuba is the most dynamic nation, as well as being one of today´s principal tourist destinations. On the "Big Island," there are about 300 hotels (of all kinds), and more than 52,000 rooms available; that´s without counting the increasing and comfortable private houses in the country´s key development areas, especially in Havana.
In the last eight years, Cuba has had two million tourists annually. But, based on 2011´s numbers, there have already been around 2.7 million vacationers, a significant growth of 35 percent.
Latin Americans have been showing an increased interest in our tourism activities, having grown by 27.4 percent; fundamental countries have been Argentina, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay. However, Canada continues to send the most, followed by the UK, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Mexico, Argentina and Russia.
Of the island´s regions, Havana continues to be the most visited, for its rich traditions, architectural diversity, numerous museums, churches, cultural centers and more than 30,000 buildings, mostly built in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, closely linked to the colonial era. And also, there´s the vast infrastructure of hotels and restaurants, which make the Cuban capital beautiful.
I believe that these results have also been influenced by the fact that we are providing superior tourism, more competitive and efficient, with more associated airlines, hotel chains, tour operators and travel agents.
Taking it all in, I just hope that one day not too far away, American tourists may travel freely to Cuba, and the United States can regain the position it had until 1959, as being the largest group of tourists.
I hope, because Havana could and should be the best of scenarios for achieving this permanent connection between diverse cultures, that without a doubt, are becoming increasingly similar.
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