Cuba promotes private offers in tourism

Cuba promotes private offers in tourism
Xinhua, September 8, 2013

The Cuban government said Saturday it would promote private offers in
tourism during next season, including accommodations, tours and restaurants.

Commercial Director of the Tourism Ministry, Jose Manuel Bisbe, said the
government was in the process of recruiting a large group of independent
business as accommodation and private restaurants with excellent service.

The state-owned travel agencies will promote these offers in their
packages and programs during the peak tourism season, running from
November till the spring, Bisbe was quoted by local daily Juventud
Rebelde as saying.

Since taking office in 2008, the government of President Raul Castro is
promoting efforts to update its socialist economic model, retreating
from running just about everything on the Caribbean island, including
accommodation, restaurants and cafes.

Bisbe highlighted efforts to renovate the country's main airports,
including the more than 10-million investment at the Terminal Three of
Havana's Jose Marti International Airport.

Bisbe also revealed plans of opening new direct flights linking the
country to its European markets such as Poland, Spain and Denmark, as
well as an expansion of the weekly travel by Air France-KLM.

Cuba runs three cruise terminals and 10 international airports. Tourism
is Cuba's second largest source of currency incomes, reporting 6 billion
U.S. dollars a year, followed by the export of medical services.

The island received 2.8 million foreign tourists in 2012, representing
an increase by 4.5 percent over the previous year. It is expected to
receive 3 million foreigners this year.

Source: "Cuba promotes private offers in tourism - China.org.cn" -
http://www.china.org.cn/business/2013-09/08/content_29961062.htm