• Submitted by: admin
• Travel and Tourism
• Caribbean
• culture an traditions
• Destinations
• history
• international
• Business and Economy
• 02 / 04 / 2009

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The previous record dated back from 2005 but there was a slight decrease in the arrival of visitors in the following years.

The ONE report recalls that it was in 1996 when the number of visitors exceeded one million for the first time while two million arrivals were reported in 2004 for the first time as well.

Although the figure mainly comprises people that visited the country as tourists, it also includes plane and ship crews as well as passengers of cruise ships and others that stayed less than 24 hours in the national territory and who are regarded as excursionists.

In the year 2008, Canada reaffirmed itself as the main market of Cuba’s tourist industry as 818,246 citizens of that North American nation travelled to the Caribbean country.

Other important markets for the Cuban so-called leisure industry were England, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Mexico and Argentina.

According to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL), the current world economic crisis seriously threatens the tourist industry and many destinations in the region suffered a decrease of arrivals in 2008. #

(ACN)