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Cuba to add over 100,000 new hotel rooms by 2030

Xinhua, April 19, 2016 Adjust font size:

Cuba will have 108,717 new hotel rooms by 2030 as it aims to meet the growing demand of foreign visitors arriving annually to the country, Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero said on Monday.

Marrero made the remarks during discussions at the Seventh Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), which began on Saturday.

The minister stressed the necessary investment process to raise the standards of Cuba's existing hotels, as well as the development of diverse offerings such as marinas, real estate and golf courses.

Marrero also referred to the new opportunities facing the industry since the restoration of diplomatic relations with the United States and U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Havana in March.

"Within this new scenario, we have seen a substantial increase in tourists as well as progress in negotiations for tourism business deals," Marrero was quoted by official daily Granma.

The Cuban government and the Starwood hotel chain recently signed an agreement for the company to manage three hotels in Havana. It becomes the first consortium of its kind to return to the island after 57 years.

Washington also allowed the Priceline Group and Airbnb to allow American clients to book hotels and rent private accommodation online.

The cruise company Carnival will also start traveling to Cuba on May 1, while 13 American airlines are awaiting permission from the Department of Transportation to offer direct flights to the island from 20 cities.

Cuban President Raul Castro acknowledged during the presentation of his central report on Saturday that tourism and the export of medical services continued to over the half of the island's foreign currency income.

Castro said that, between 2011 and 2015, Cuba opened more than 10,900 new rooms and restored 7,000, complementing the offer with the increase of another 14,000 private lodgings.

Last year, Cuba topped 3 million foreign visitors for the first time. Enditem