Cuba welcomed 1.9 million foreign tourists in 2003

Thursday, January 1, 2004

HAVANA, Cuba (VNA): The Cuban Ministry of Tourism has announced that the country welcomed 1.9 million foreign tourists this year, a 12.7 percent year-on-year rise. The tourism sector contributed over 40 percent of the country's foreign currency earnings. 

The achievements were attributed to a sound strategy on tourism. Aside from the traditional markets of Europe, Canada and Mexico, Cuban travel companies also welcomed tourists from Asian countries, particularly China.

In spite of an embargo imposed by the United States, thousands of US citizens have visited Cuba via a third country such as Mexico, Canada or Jamaica. 

Cuba, which ranked 9th in tourist arrivals and 8th in earnings from tourism in the Americas, now has 40,000 hotel-rooms, 68 percent of which are four- or five-stars. The industry has created over 100,000 direct and 200,000 indirect jobs for local people.

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