Cuba aims for 7.4% rise in tourist numbers: Envoy

By Tuba Sahin and Dilara Zengin

ANKARA (AA) - Cuba will host an international tourism fair on the island next week to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the capital Havana, said Cuba’s ambassador to Turkey.

"This year we’re planning to increase tourist numbers around 7.4%, and we hope this fair will help us reach this aim," Luis Alberto Amoros Nunez told Anadolu Agency.

FITCuba 2019, organized by the Cuban tourism ministry, will be held in Havana on May 6-11. The fair will be attended by travel agencies, airlines, hotels, and associations from all over the world.

"Cuban tourism is growing and will achieve its targets despite the obstacles of the U.S. economic embargo, strengthened recently with full application of the internationally rejected Helms-Bolton Act," said Nunez.

The U.S. Helms-Bolton Act is a 1996 law meant to tighten the embargo on Cuba. After a thaw in U.S.-Cuban ties under President Barack Obama, the Trump administration has taken a harsher stance.

Stating that last year’s fair attracted more than 3,000 people from 62 countries, Nunez said a huge turnout is expected this year.

- Tourism cooperation

Cuba last year welcomed some 4.7 million tourists and earned around $2.5 billion in revenue, he noted.

The country expects 5.1 million tourists this year and to hit tourism revenue of more than $3 billion, said Nunez.

"The diversification of tourism offers, growth in investments, Cuban culture, and safety of the country are supporting the sustained development of Cuba as a destination," he said.

Pointing to the ballooning number of Turkish tourists visiting the country, Nunez said: "Nearly 18,000 Turkish tourists visited Cuba last year, up from around 6,000 in 2014."

The country has the potential to attract more Turkish people thanks to Cuba’s culture, history, infrastructure, and people, he added.

Telling how Turkish Airlines launched direct flights to Cuba in late 2016, Nunez said: "Currently the flights operate three times a week. Probably soon this will expand to four times a week."

Touching on cooperation between Turkey and Cuba, Nunez added that this February trade ministries from both countries signed an agreement to boost tourism cooperation.

Turkey has deep experience in the health, thermal, and business tourism sectors and hotel management areas, he said, adding: "We can exchange information in those four specific areas."