HAVANA: Cuba said it has registered 2 million tourist arrivals thus far in 2015, 39 days ahead of last year’s pace, state-run media outlets reported Saturday, citing Tourism Ministry figures.
State media hailed that figure, which was announced Friday and marks a 16 percent increase over 2014, as encouraging.
Canada retained the No. 1 spot in terms of tourist arrivals, which exceeded 3 million last year and are projected to be even higher in 2015, followed by Germany, Britain, France, Italy, the United States and Argentina.
In May, tourist arrivals rose 21.1 percent compared to the same month of 2014, the biggest increase for that month in the past 15 years.
The upward trend for the sector coincides with a diplomatic thaw between Cuba and the United States, which on July 20 will re-establish embassies and resume full diplomatic relations that were severed five decades ago.
While ordinary tourism remains off-limits to Americans, a greater number of U.S. visitors have been seen on the island in recent months after President Barack Obama eased travel restrictions in January.
Although official figures have not yet been released, local economists estimate the number of American visitors may have risen by around 20 percent over the past several months.
International tourism is the No. 2 source of foreign exchange for Cuba, trailing only professional services.
