On September 8th, Cuba’s Tourism Minister, Manuel Marrero, inaugurated a new headquarters of the University of Havana’s Tourism Department. His comments underscore the acute hotel room inventory problems in the island nation’s capital city.
In response to increased room demand in Havana, the ministry has launched a development strategy that includes the construction of new hotels and the renovation of existing establishments, he said. The additional visitors have come mainly from Canada, Britain, Spain, Mexico, France and Italy.
Elevating quality in general, Marrero said, remains the central challenge for workers in the sector.
A recent report from Cuba’s National Statistics and Information Office (ONEI) indicated that 2,194,134 international tourists arrived in Cuba in the first half of the year, representing a 17% increase over 2014.
A record three million foreign tourists visited Cuba in 2014 and officials expect that total to increase this year.
