Canadians boost tourism.

Canadian tourists fleeing a harsh winter and buoyed by their strong dollar are flocking to Cuban beaches in record numbers and helping the tourist trade end a two-year slump, reports Reuters (April 9, 2008). Hotel managers said a surge in Canadian "snowbirds" led to unprecedented tourism during

Tourism, a major source of hard currency, peaked in 2005 with 2.3 million visitors, but fell to 2.1 million last year, including 600,000 Canadians. In January Cuba received more tourists than in any high season since it opened up to foreign investment and tourism in the mid-1990s: 247,386 visitors. Almost half were Canadians, up 30% over January last year;

A European hotel manager said Cuba has acted on complaints of poor service, and reduced the theft of luggage and immigration delays at airports, where about 50 flights land each week from Canada. The ministry of tourism has sought new business offering tour operators better-priced deals compared to rival Mexican and Dominican destinations, the manager said. Last year Cuba also cut the price it charges for aviation fuel, lowering charter company costs, he said;

The European market remains stagnant. But Spanish tourism is picking up after a drop due to the purchase by US companies of Iberoworld and Pullmantur, which eliminated them from operating here under US sanctions. Britain is the second source of tourists after Canada, with about 25 charter flights a week. Cuba expanded its hotel capacity to 44,000 rooms in 2006, about half administered by foreign companies such as Spanish chain Sol Melia and France's Accor.