Havana Prioritizes Repair of Tourist Facilities Havana prioritizes repair of tourist facilities
"We are working to have all facilities ready in the shortest time possible," said government official in the tourism sector
Agencies in Madrid | 14/09/2017 09:34
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Hotels in the Havana coastal region suffered "slight damage" after Hurricane Irma, being ready to receive tourists later this week, through "quick" recovery and cleaning actions they said on the executives Wednesday Cuba Ministry of Tourism (Mintur), reports EFE.
Among the hotels that resume their activities in a few days are the Arenal and Jibacoa souvenirs, located in the Playas del Este; Aquarium Marina Hemingway, the Melia Cohiba and Commodore, located in the coast of Havana.
After Irma, which hit Havana last Saturday, "immediately began the rehabilitation work" in the 18 evacuated facilities, where "Minor Glass Marquetry Damage, False Ceilings and other quick improvements" have been reported, said delegate Mintur in Havana, Xonia Beltrn.
Beltran added that some of these centers might start operating as they repair the damage that "not compromise the market. "
"We are working with the aim of having lists all facilities in the shortest possible time," he insisted the statement said state Cuban News Agency, while recalling that "the tourist life continues in the city" , where several areas are not yet electricity or water for there are more than 72 hours.
He also said that tourist facilities where seawater has penetrated "will take a little startup".
Beltran insisted that Havana has "the availability to assimilate orderly visitors", because the "rest of the hotel industry in the capital is active" and in the hurricane "guaranteed protection" for tourists.
Hotels like the National Monument, located on a cliff overlooking Malecon of Havana and Habana Libre, also close to the coast but located in an elevated area served as a refuge for many foreign travelers that the mighty Irma surprised in the midst of its holidays.
Deputy Mintur in Havana recalled that Tuesday flights to the airport of the capital have resumed and specified that the travel agencies review the itineraries of the tourist tours of this city, to ensure other destinations available to travelers which are still on the island.
Havana has 60 hotels and about 11,000 private houses as rooms for rent.
According to official figures, the arrival of international travelers in Havana, the main gateway to Cuba, increased at the end of last August in a 23% compared to 2016.
Until last July the Cuban capital reached more than 1.6 million foreign visitors, about 435,000 more than the previous year.
Tourism is one of the driving forces of the Cuban economy and depressed the Caribbean island in 2016 saw a 4.5 million foreign tourists record, which want to increase to 4.7 this year.
The powerful hurricane Irma killed 10 people in Cuba and caused damage to the houses and ransacked the hotel infrastructure of Santamara, Guillermo and Coco keys, north of the central provinces of Villa Clara and Ciego de Avila, where the hurricane hit Last Friday Category 5.
More than 5,000 tourists who vacationed in the north cayes -belonging archipelago Jardines del Rey were evacuated to the resort of Varadero, about 140 kilometers from Havana, which was also affected, but to a lesser extent.
Despite the devastation, President Ral Castro said in a message to Cubans who damaged tourist facilities will be recovered "before the start of the high season" in November.