BY ANDREA RODRIGUEZ
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HAVANA - Despite the crisis will mean zero growth in world tourism, Cuba increased visitor arrivals , a phenomenon that could also be observed in Central America and some destinations in South America, said a senior industry official.
Around the world in 2008, growth in the travel industry was only 2% with a poor second half, Cuba on the other hand grew by 9%, told reporters Representative For the Americas of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), English Carlos Vogeler. 
The trend continued this year, the official said, when the sector is zero increase in the world, while the island had already risen more than 2% of their arrivals between January and May 2009. "We are also seeing" this phenomenon in Central and South America, but in the Caribbean, only Cuba, said Vogeler, who arrived here to accompany the Secretary General of UNWTO, Taleb Rifai leaders in meetings with islanders. According to Vogeler
the explanation for this unusual situation has to do with "Resistance" of some "emerging destinations" unconventional people still prefer despite the crisis.
Currently, some 2.3 million tourists visited Cuba, whose government is actively involved in the expansion of its hotel capacity, mainly in the areas of Havana and Varadero. It has about 46,000 rooms.
For his part, Secretary Rifai, former Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of Jordan, said Cuba has tremendous potential to continue this positive trend, much more if eventually the government of President Barack Obama lifts the restrictions for U.S. citizens to travel to the island in line with several legislative initiatives filed in Washington.
"Cuba is totally ready," Rifai said, when asked about the possibilities of the island to receive an avalanche of studies estimate that Americans could travel to the island during the first year without bans. Analysis
tour operators and foreign experts said that might arise about 3 million Americans interested in coming to the Caribbean nation as the sanctions were canceled arrivals. However
Rifai said that the WTO is not doing anything to pressure lobbying Obama in this direction, yet another recently approved travel by Cuban-Americans on humanitarian grounds.
"The actions taken by the government of the United States ... are now based on their own evaluations and if we express clearly that the (lift all travel restrictions) would be a right step," said the secretary.
Source: http://www.elnuevoherald.com
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