Rogelio Acevedo, president of Cuba’s Civil Aviation Institute, attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the now enhanced Abel Santamaria International Airport in Santa Clara –right in the heart of the island nation. The terminal will now ease the flow of vacationers to the tourist circuit of Villa Clara.

The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) is planning a series of festive and exhilarating events to spice up Caribbean Week 2003 in New York City, slated to take place June 1-7, 2003, ranging in scope from an inter-faith ceremony to a “Taste of the Caribbean” market fair in the heart of New York City.

The Paradiso Rio de Oro Hotel in the tourist destination of Playa Esmeralda in the province of Holguin, has just nabbed the TUI-Holly Award for a second straight year in recognition to the facility’s top-quality services. The award is bestowed on the top-100 lodging establishments preferred by German travelers worldwide. In the world ranking, this Cuban hotel holds the 36th spot.

A new establishment will come aboard Spain-based company Sol Meliá next May 1 with the leasing of the Mofarrej Hotel right in the financial heart of the Brazilian city of Sao Paolo. The new moniker for the resort? Gran Meliá Mofarrej, company execs informed in a press release.

Andrea Rosas Matas took over as new general manageress of the Oasis Akumal Hotel in the Mexican Caribbean with an efficient and outstanding professional career under her belt. In 1987, she had her big break in the industry as a hotelkeeper assistant. Three months later, she had moved up the ladder to executive hotelkeeper. Eight years later, Mrs. Matas was promoted to accommodation manageress. In 1999, she became deputy manageress under the supervision of Jaime Sancho, former general manager who now serves a stint at the helm of one of the four blocks that make up the Oasis Cancun Resort.

Cuba will increase cruise tourism in 2003 by luring some 120 calls that will bring over 77,000 visitors aboard recreational vessels to the ports of Havana, Santiago de Cuba and Punta Frances .

Alfonso Lavarello, president of Silares Co., a firm that markets and operates cruise travels to Cuba, said Friday in a news conference that these figures are way over the number of arrivals nicked in 2002, a situation that “lays bare Cuban authorities’ interest in boosting this particular leisure choice.”