Cuba Forecasts Tourism Growth for Next Year, Minister Says

Tourism and the sugar industry will have a better performance in 2019, so they will make an important contribution to the forecast six percent boom in the country’s exports

Cuban Minister of Economy and Planning, Alejandro Gil, told the National Assembly of People’s Power on Friday that for 2019 the number of tourists and receipts of the sector will grow.

We hope to reach 5.1 million visitors, which represents a 7.4 percent growth compared to 2018 (4.75 million tourists should arrive in Cuba), he said in the plenary session of the deputies corresponding to the second regular session of the 9th Legislature.

At the Conference Center of Havana, Gil announced a forecast of the level of occupation of the available capacities of 62.3 percent, several points higher than the one reported in the year that ends.

Regarding revenues, he said that it should grow almost 16 percent compared to 2018.

According to Gil, tourism and the sugar industry will have a better performance in 2019, so they will make an important contribution to the forecast six percent boom in the country’s exports.

The impact of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed on Cuba by the United States and the weather phenomena, such as Hurricane Irma in September 2017 and the subtropical storm Alberto in the middle of this year, had a negative impact on tourism.