HAVANA, Cuba, CMC – The governments of Cuba and Russia agreed to boost the development of tourism when representatives of both countries signed cooperation accords during a bilateral meeting in Havana as part of the 20th Session of their Intergovernmental Commission for economic-commercial and scientific-technical collaboration.

Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero and Russian Government Vice-President Dmitri N Chernyshenko presided over the meeting in which Cuban Tourism Minister Juan Carlos Garcia briefed participants on the opportunities of Cuba as a tourist destination—a sun-and-beach site, with patrimonial, cultural and natural values.

Chernyshenko said that efforts must focus on the increase in the number of tourists to Cuba up to some 500,000 Russian vacationers a year.

He added that the sector needs reconstruction and repair of hotels, modernization of infrastructure and training of specialists in the hotel sector.

Meanwhile, Sergei Vladimirovich Alexandrovsky, general director of Aeroflot Airlines, announced direct flights between the capital Moscow and the Cuban tourist centre of Varadero for which plane tickets will be on sale over the next few days.

Cuba and Russia also signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the local Tourism Ministry and the Russian Economic Development Ministry and other accords related to training and trips.