HAVANA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Tourism in Cuba is booming despite negative press generated in the United States, the country's Tourism Ministry said Thursday.
International travelers consider Cuba to be a "a safe, peaceful and sound destination," said the ministry.
Some 3 million international tourists have traveled to the island so far this year, according to the ministry.
Cuba's biggest tourism market continues to be Canada, followed by France, Germany, Britain, Russia, Spain, Mexico, Argentina and Chile, it added.
The government is banking on tourism growth, with plans to build 9,000 more hotel rooms in 2019 to accommodate the influx of visitors.
However, Cuba received some negative press when at least 16 people from the U.S. Embassy community in Cuba experienced "some kind of symptoms" from a mysterious health attack last August, according to the White House.
It is suspected sonic wave machines were used in the homes of embassy employees, The New York Times reported.
