by Raul Menchaca
SAGUA LA GRANDE, Cuba, May 5 (Xinhua)-- With new hotels, a cinema, a central park and other attractions, Cuba is jazzing up a bicentennial coastal city to become a new destination for international tourists.
Sagua La Grande, about 360 km east of Havana, was founded in 1812. Though many of its buildings are in a state of decay, it is still a picturesque city with a sunshine beach and historical heritage sites.
On Friday, the promotion kicked off at the 38th International Tourism Fair in Villa Clara Province in central Cuba.
Besides investments to revitalize the city's hotel industry, the local authority is also boosting "recreational and gastronomic services", Minister of Tourism Manuel Marrero said at the fair.
As part of the presentation, the 84-room Hotel Sagua and smaller Palacio Arena with 11 rooms reopened on Friday, along with a bar-cafeteria, a nightclub and two tourist shops.
The two hotels have preserved the neoclassical architecture that dominates the historical city, home of Cuban painter Wifredo Lam (1902-1982), who was born to a Cuban-Chinese family and whose work reflects the beauty of the city.
The historical center of Sagua La Grande was declared a national monument in 2011 because of its architectural value. The 158-year-old Parochial Church is also among the must-see places of the city.
Besides its historical sites, the city boasts a mixed culture due to a diversified population of Spaniards, Africans and Chinese. Foreign visitors would appreciate that, according to the local tourism authority.
Chilean writer Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957) described the city as "warm and friendly".
Tourism official Dayami Armenteros said for foreign tourists, the most important thing is the local people.
Sitting on the Sagua La Grande River, the city with a population of about 22,000 will have more service facilities, Marrero said.
During the tourism fair, German travel agency Thomas Cook said it would put Sagua La Grande in its catalog, while French company Louvre Hotels signed a letter of intention with a local company to manage new facilities.
Tourism, the country's second source of income, grew 16.2 percent last year. The goal for 2018 is about 5 million visitors.
