The number of foreign tourists to Cuba increased sharply in the first four months of the year.

According to data from the Ministry of Tourism and the National Information and Statistics Agency of Cuba, in the first four months of this year, the country welcomed more than 1.2 million foreign visitors, an increase of 190% over the same period in 2022.

Luong du khach nuoc ngoai den Cuba tang cao trong 4 thang dau nam hinh anh 1 Russian tourists visit the capital city of Havana, Cuba. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Cuba's tourism industry is recovering strongly from the COVID-19 pandemic with the number of foreign tourists to the country increasing in the first months of 2023.

Topping the list of countries with the most tourists to Cuba is Canada (495,000 people), followed by American tourists (54,000 people) and Russian tourists (44,000 people).

Visitors to Cuba all share the feeling that the landscape, people, culture and cuisine of the Caribbean island nation have a special appeal.

Rising fuel prices and the US embargo on Cuba have affected the number of European tourists to the country, according to Cuban Tourism Minister Juan Carlos Carcia.

The Cuban government hopes the country will welcome 3.5 million foreign tourists in 2023 as the tourism industry gradually recovers to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.

Cuba is expected to welcome nearly 1.7 million international visitors in 2022, down from the government's estimate of 2.5 million. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuba welcomed about 4 million tourists a year.

Tourism plays an important role in the Cuban economy, contributing to improving people's living conditions through revenues from activities providing accommodation, restaurants, travel and customer care services.

In addition, according to the Cuban Ministry of Tourism, foreign companies are increasingly interested in investing in the country, especially in the tourism sector. Official figures show that there are currently 87 foreign investment projects in the tourism sector in Cuba. Currently, there are 18 foreign hotel chains operating in Cuba.

Previously, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko expressed his desire to make Russia the main market for Cuban tourism, with about 500,000 tourists visiting the Caribbean island nation each year.

At a meeting with Cuban Tourism Minister Juan Garcia Granda, Mr. Chernyshenko believes that Russia will soon surpass Canada to become the leading source of tourists to Cuba.

For his part, Minister Granda said that Russia is the fourth largest market for Cuban tourism. 178,000 Russians visited Cuba before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out.

The head of Cuba's tourism industry also expressed his desire to welcome more than 200,000 Russian tourists to the country this year.

At the meeting, the two sides discussed measures to increase the number of tourists, stimulate investment and support improving the quality of staff in the industry.

The Russian Deputy Prime Minister stressed that the visa-free policy between the two countries is in effect, allowing stays of up to 90 days every 180 days. Mr. Chernyshenko added that the friendly relations between the two peoples and the restoration of flights could become a solid foundation for future cooperation./.

Luyen Vien (Vietnam+)

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