Havana, Cuba_ The National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI) stressed today the growth of Cuban Tourism, recalling that during last year, the country received the visit of 3,524,779 tourists, Prensa Latina reports.

According to that source such amount of foreign visitors represented 17.4 percent growth, compared to 2014.

The official report by ONEI indicated that Canada is the most important source of tourists to Cuba, reaching 1,300,092 Canadians, for an increase of 10.6 percent over the previous year.

Based on data from the Directorate of Immigration and Nationality, the report by ONEI also shows that this market is followed, in order, by Germany, England, France and Italy, all with notable increases in the flow of tourists, mainly France, with 33.8 percent.

The ONEI also highlights the growth of the quantity of travelers from Spain, with 107,368 visitors, and increase over 39 percent.

The return of the airline Iberia, with six weekly flights, Air Europa, with seven, and the contribution of Evelop, which already has three weekly frequencies, contributed to this result.

Other markets were Mexico (27.3 percent), Venezuela (20.7 percent) and Argentina (23.7 percent).

The ONEI document notes that 9,922 foreigners came to Cuba on cruise ships, more than 8,085 in 2014, a modality that revives considerably its activities.

It outlines that the tourism boom of 2015 was achieved when citizens of the US, main source for the Caribbean, still cannot come to Cuba.

According to the economist and professor at the Faculty of Tourism at the University of Havana, Jose Luis Perello, the region receives about 28 million foreign visitors annually, just over half of which come from the United States, for whom Cuba is prohibited as travel destination since 1961.

However, he estimates that 145,000 Americans came to the island in 2015, an increase of 79 percent above the previous year, under the aegis of the 12 general licenses approved by the government of Barack Obama.

Cuba now has 63,000 hotel rooms, of which 70 percent have four and five stars, and plans to continue investing to add new and improved accommodations and facilities in the coming years.

According to estimates, in 2020 the archipelago will have more than 85,000 rooms distributed throughout its geography.

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