Cuba tourism begins recovery after Hurricane Ike

On Thursday, in Havana, the Cuban Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR) reported in Prensa Latina that tourist flights to the island from America and Europe have resumed operations with the departure of Hurricane Ike.

The report in the newspaper stated that approximately 30,000 foreign tourist have arrived since the storm moved into the Gulf of Mexico, and are vacationing at resorts scattered throughout the island.

MINTUR also reported that flights from Canada, Germany and the UK are scheduled to arrive in the coming days at Cayo Coco, north of Ciego de Avila, and Cayo Guillermo; at Cienfuegos, in south-central Cuba; at Holguin, in the north-east; at Manzanillo, in the south-east of the country; and at Varadero, the main Cuban resort which is 87 miles east of Havana.

During the worst of Hurricane Ike, 105 foreign tourists were relocated at the Santiago de Cuba resort in order to guarantee their safety and the safety of hotel workers.

Airports are all functioning normally, and resorts in Cienfuegos, Granma, Havana, Holguin, Jardines del Rey, Santiago de Cuba, Trinidad, Varadero and Villa Clara are all open for tourists even while repairs from hurricane damage are underway at some.

Cuba features more than 46 thousand hotel rooms designated for tourism that are distributed over the country’s eight main resort areas. The country is currently visited by over two million tourists from around the globe annually.

www.cubaminrex.cu