Cuba unveiled as new tourist in China

Chinese travelers can now pick Cuba as a tourist destination according to an official statement made in Havana during a presentation at the National Hotel attended by Cuba’s Tourism Minister Ibrahim Ferradaz and China’s ambassador to Cuba Wang Qi Quan.

During the cocktail party, Cuban tourism vice minister Marta Maiz praised this action as just another example of cooperation, mutual understanding and strengthening of longstanding political and economic relations between both nations.

Mrs. Maiz said the announcement was made possible thanks to an agreement signed last July 23 between Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism and the China’s National Tourism Management that paves the way for visitors from the Asian country to travel to Cuba.

Chinese ambassador to Havana underscored that Cuba has what it takes for this kind of venture to bloom and extolled the island nation’s conditions for the development of a robust leisure industry.

Last year alone, over 16 million Chinese citizens sallied forth overseas –including visits to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan- and several millions of them did it as tourists.

As a token of bilateral collaboration in this field, the parties set in motion a joint venture for building a couple of hotels in the Cuban capital and in Shanghai. The inked agreement also includes a cuisine project entitled “La Gloria Cubana” (Cuban Glory) in that bustling city of southern China.

From now on, Cuba ranks 26th among those countries and regions that China has chosen as tourist destinations, a condition that might trigger an avalanche of sunbathers from the giant Asian nation.