A tourist is observing the urban landscape from the viewpoint of the Loma de la Cruz, in the city of Holguin, about 700 kilometers from Havana, the capital of Cuba. (Xinhua/Joaquin Hernandez)
By the end of this year, the region is expected to host half a million leisure travelers, most from Canada, which accounts for more than 40 percent of all visitors to the island.
HOLGUIN, Cuba, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The eastern part of Holguin province, home to pristine Caribbean beaches and spectacular landscapes, has become a key driver of tourism in Cuba.
By the end of this year, the region is expected to host half a million leisure travelers, most from Canada, which accounts for more than 40 percent of all visitors to the island.
The soon to be completed Prestige Almirante Hotel is a 515-room resort in Guardalavaca. This town is famous for her pristine white beaches and limpid waters.
This new hotel is part of the tourism industry's plan to double the amount of hotel rooms islandwide within the coming decade.
Holguin currently has 24 hotels, several run by international chains such as Spain's Melia and Iberostar, or Mexico's Fiesta Americana.
"Since the 90s, tourism has been a great opportunity for the Cuban economy, and of course Holguin has not been left behind," Maykel Roberts, a marketing specialist for the province's tourism ministry, told Xinhua.
Three decades ago, Holguin had just a thousand rooms. "Today we have more than 6,000, and the outlook through 2030 is to double that figure," said Roberts.
The region is speeding up its tourism development, he said.
Many sojourners return and some, like Canadian Eric Remno, return time and again. He has visited Guardalavaca more than 20 times.
"People here have a good heart and you make new friends and that makes me feel that it is like my second home," said Remno.
For Polish Matheus Stanislawsky and his girlfriend Agnieszka, however, this is their first trip to Cuba.
"I've been to several places, like Malta, Greece and Germany, but this is the most beautiful place I've visited," said Stanislawsky, from the edge of a pool.
Domestic tourists also abound in summer.
"We have the best beaches in the world and that is something to take advantage of," said Michel Ramos, a native of Holguin who was vacationing with his family.
To expand Holguin's attractions beyond the beach, the ministry is developing the area's ecotourism.
National parks, nature reserves, protected natural landscapes and wildlife refuges form part of a route that features up to 17 natural attractions.
Industry leaders are betting that Holguin's beaches combined with nature and wildlife will entice increasingly more travelers to the island's eastern coast.
