Cuba kicks off Int'l Tourism Fair to boost economic recovery
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E-mail Xinhua, May 4, 2022
HAVANA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Cuba's International Tourism Fair opened Tuesday at the Plaza America exhibition center in the seaside resort of Varadero.
The opening ceremony of the event, the 40th edition of the fair, was attended by Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and other high-ranking officials.
Addressing the audience, Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero voiced confidence in the recovery of the local tourism industry amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the tightening of the U.S.-led economic and trade embargo against the island.
The fair takes place as Cuban tourism is bouncing back with the arrival of over 450,000 international tourists so far this year, up from just 390,000 visitors for the whole year of 2021.
Running through Saturday, the event brings together more than 5,000 travel agents, tour operators, and business owners from over 60 countries.
The Cuban government has projected a 4-percent economic growth for 2022 with the expected arrival of nearly 2.5 million tourists by the year's end.
According to official statistics, the tourism industry accounted for more than 10 percent of Cuba's GDP before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Enditem
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