In Antwort auf:

---

Travel and Leisure Chooses Cuba as Best Caribbean Destination

Havana.- The US magazine "Travel and Leisure" chose Cuba as the best tourist destination in the Caribbean, as a result of a survey carried out among subscribers.

The survey, aimed at choosing the best hotels, airlines, islands, cities, cruisers and tour operators, gave the largest Antillean Island 83.68 points.

With that score, Cuba topped the list of Caribbean destinations, followed by Bermudas (78.21 points), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Saint John and Virgin Gorda.

Travel and Leisure's survey only included the opinions of travelers, and excluded those of tourist professionals.

In a press release, the magazine pointed out that by choosing Cuba, "its readers are committed travelers for whom the unknown and the inaccessible are specially seducing".

The US magazine carried out a similar survey last year, in which Cuba placed eighth in the Caribbean.

---

In Antwort auf:

---

New Zoo Opens in Central Cuba

Havana.- The El Bosque Zoo opened recently in the city of Santa Clara, the capital of central Villa Clara province.

The zoo, which has been designed to resemble a jungle, covers an area of five hectares and houses over 200 specimens grouped in 69 species.

Reconstruction works allowed increasing the number of exhibition areas from 113 to 124, where valuable species are on display.

The species on display include the barber's goat (one of few living in Cuba), the sacred bambino monkey, lions, African ostriches, raccoons and leopards, among others.

The new exhibition areas were built following international standards for zoos, which Cuba complies with as a member of the Latin American and Mesoamerican Zoo Association.

Among the goals of the new facility are the preservation of species, research and community work to boost environmental culture in the region.

---

In Antwort auf:

---

Canada Tops Tourist Arrivals in Cuba

Havana.- Canada tops the list of Cuba's major tourist markets, with over 270,000 vacationers during the first five months of 2003.

Cuban tourist authorities pointed out that during the winter season, there were over 100 flights a week between the two countries.

The experts added that 15 Canadian cities were linked to seven tourist destinations on the largest Antillean Island.

Italy was the second major tourist market during the said period, followed by Germany, Great Britain, Spain and Mexico. The latter toped the list of Latin American countries.

Cuba expects to receive 1.9 million travelers by this year's end, so it is working hard to expand the country's tourist infrastructure.

In that regard, the Caribbean Island's leisure industry will have over 41,500 rooms by the end of 2003, after the inauguration of hotels in Holguín, Cayo Largo del Sur and Cayo Santamaría in winter.

---

In Antwort auf:

---

Cuba Promotes Options for Ecological Tourism

Havana.- The largest Antillean Island is promoting ecotourism programs linked to 60 sites in the national territory, which boasts a rich biological diversity.

According to sources from the tourist sector, seven of the nine swamps in the Antillean region are in Cuba, and 22 percent of the island has been declared a protected area.

Last year, nature tourism attracted 630,000 travelers, of whom over 160,000 bought tourist packages that included ecotourism.

Cuban authorities highlighted the great prospects of diversifying the Island's tourist offer based on the promotion and development of conventions, health, diving and nautical activities, and ecotourism.

The latter also lays the foundations to develop programs that include trekking, and adventure and rural tourism.

Some 900 of the country's 40,000 rooms for international tourism are devoted to nature tourism, which generated 19 million dollars in revenues last year.

---

Quelle: DTC, 18.08.03

Cuba-Reiseinfos
avenTOURa