Cuba scrambles to keep pace with US tourist boom
The number of US visitors to Cuba has nearly doubled this year as the island races to build hotels and expand Havana Airport to keep up with demand. Tourism has taken off since Cuba and the United States announced they would work to bury the Cold War hatchet in December 2014. The Caribbean island received a record 3.5m visitors last year. The influx has pushed capacity to the limit, prompting hotels to increase prices sharply and raising questions about how Cuba will absorb additional visitors when scheduled US commercial airline service starts later this year. "With the increase in demand there have occurred problems with the confirmation of reservations and some irritation with delays at the airports, most of all in Havana," Minister Manuel Marrero said. He said an airport expansion was planned in Havana, but gave no more details. "Until just a little while ago Cuba was a forbidden destination, and not only for Americans, but for many others from various countries," tourism professor Jose Luis Perello, of the University of Havana, said. "Air France has 11 flights a week. Last week, they signed for 28 flights a week from France as from this November, 18 to Havana," he said.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2016-05-06/general/cuba-scrambles-to-keep-pace-with-us-tourist-boom
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Cuba scrambles to keep pace with US tourist boom
The number of US visitors to Cuba has nearly doubled this year as the island races to build hotels and expand Havana Airport to keep up with demand. Tourism has taken off since Cuba and the United States announced they would work to bury the Cold War hatchet in December 2014. The Caribbean island received a record 3.5m visitors last year. The influx has pushed capacity to the limit, prompting hotels to increase prices sharply and raising questions about how Cuba will absorb additional visitors when scheduled US commercial airline service starts later this year. "With the increase in demand there have occurred problems with the confirmation of reservations and some irritation with delays at the airports, most of all in Havana," Minister Manuel Marrero said. He said an airport expansion was planned in Havana, but gave no more details. "Until just a little while ago Cuba was a forbidden destination, and not only for Americans, but for many others from various countries," tourism professor Jose Luis Perello, of the University of Havana, said. "Air France has 11 flights a week. Last week, they signed for 28 flights a week from France as from this November, 18 to Havana," he said.<br/>
