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Cuban ministry says country hosted record number of tourists in 2014

Three million tourists visited Cuba in 2014, maling a 5.3% growth against the previous year

Havana, Cuba ITAR-TASS/Mikhail Metzel

Havana, Cuba

© ITAR-TASS/Mikhail Metzel

HAVANA, December 31. /TASS/. For the first time in the history of Cuba, this country hosted 3 million foreign tourists in 2014, the Ministry of Tourism said.

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“In spite of restrictions created by the blockade on the part of the US, which bans free trips to Cuba by its citizens, the job done by all of our hotel chains with the assistance of tour operators and airlines made it possible to host 3 million foreign tourists by December 30,” the ministry said in a statement.

“This is a record for our country and the figure grew 5.3% against the previous year,” it said.

Most foreigners come from Canada and the three-millionth tourist, who arrived here on Tuesday, was also a Canadian.

Other most frequently visiting foreigners are Britons, Argentines, Germans, French, and Spaniards.

Tourist industry is one of the main producers of foreign currency revenues for Cuba over the past several years. In 2013, the country hosted 2.8 million tourists who brought a revenue of over $1.8 billion to it.

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