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Germany Again Cuba’s Fifth Tourist Market

Mexico Anticipates Growth in Tourism

A total of 10,964 Germans visited Cuba in 2008, representing close to 4.3% of all tourist arrivals. This market has historically remaing among the island’s principal markets: it closed 2008 in fifth place for the third year in a row. Continued on page 2.

Mexico is expecting a 2.5% growth in the tourist sector during this year of crisis. “We

EU Exempt from Visas in Caribbean Destinations don’t know how the economic crisis will affect tourism this year; we do believe there will be an impact, but the sector won’t stop growing,” affirmed Secretary of Tourism Rodolfo Elizondo Torres in Madrid, Spain.

Continued on page 2.

Bahamas

The European Commission announced that European citizens will soon be able to travel to Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, St. KittsNevis, Mauritius Island, Barbados and Seychelles without a visa. Every year, 800,000 European tourists travel to those countries.The agreement, which as Commission Spokesman for Justice Michele Cercone explained, “is still to be signed,” will allow the Europeans and the nationals from those six countries to travel from one region to another without a visa.

Grand Prix Regatta in Santo Domingo The 6th Grand Prix transatlantic regatta, which will set off from the Spanish port of Cadiz, will have Santo Domingo as its destination point in January 2010, according to the local Ministry of Tourism. The ministry highlighted that the dozens of navigators who will arrive in the capital of the Dominican Republic will contribute to the promotion and development of the booming tourist nautical sector in the country. Continued on page 2.

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From page one - Germany Again ... has historically had a seasonal Germany’s ranking as a performance that confirms the market for Cuba preference to travel between 2000 2 November and March, the month 2001 2 with the maximum number of arrivals. Specifically in 2008, it 2002 2 maintained the traditional peak 2003 3 in March, although the increase 2004 5 in arrivals during the last winter 2005 6 season lasted until April.

2006 2007 2008

From page one - Mexico Anticipates...

According to Bank of Mexico The Secretariat of Tourism is figures, 12.121 billion dollars working on a strategy that backs came into the country up to the national market, which November 2008, that is, 5.1% represents one of tourism’s more than the same period in principal driving forces in 2007.

Mexico, without neglecting the priority markets abroad, In the first 11 months of last year the United States, Canada and the country registered the arrival Europe, the official explained. of 20.294 million tourists, which represented an increase of 6.2% “The idea is to have a strategy as compared to the same period with which tourism will in 2007. continue being a hard currency generating activity.”

Elizondo Torres highlighted that at the close of 2008, private investment in tourism reached the record figure of 4.641 billion dollars, 6.7% more than in 2007, according to data by the National Register of Investment Projects.

5 5 5

Despite the slight 2% decrease in the arrival of Germans to the island in 2008 as compared to 2007 - according to National Office of Statistics figures -, such a performance by the German market indicates that it has been gradually recovering from the contraction of previous years, since the annual decreases of the 2004-2007 period had been greater.

Since the beginning of this millennium the largest of the Caribbean islands received close to 1.2 million German tourists, equivalent to 6.4% of all visitors during the period. This market

From page one - Grand Prix Regatta...

The arrival of German tourists to Cuba, according to the World Tourism Organization, should stand at 218,724 visitors in 2010 and 323,766 in 2020, which would represent a 7.2% growth rate between 1995 and 2020, breaking down the rate at 8% between 2000 and 2010 and 4% during the 2010-2020 period.

The DR’s Ministry of Tourism affirmed it would provide all the necessary logistics for the successful arrival of the regatta to Santo Domingo.

on board diverse types of vessels, which covered around 3,200 miles.

The previous Atlantic Grand Prix had the island of Martinique as its destination as well as a massive participation by sailors

International events Cuba

July 2009

Caribbean Festival. Fire Fiesta

July 3

July 9

Santiago de Cuba

Cultural institutions

Havanatur

International Design Conference (FORMA 2009)

July 5

July 9

City of Havana

Hotel Nacional de Cuba, Higher Institute of Industrial Design

Viajes Cubanacán

CUBALLET

July 5

Aug. 2

City of Havana

Center Prodanza

Cubatur

7th International Convention on Environment and Development

July 6

July 10

City of Havana

Havana Convention Center

Viajes Cubanacán

13th Theater Festival of Havana

Sept. 10 Sept. 20

City of Havana

Theaters, plazas and parks in the city

Paradiso

7th Nature Tourism Event (TURNAT 2009)

Sept. 14 Sept. 18

Matanzas

Ciénaga de Zapata

Viajes Cubanacán

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President Principal Director Director Delegate Manager Publicity Italy Editorial Staff Digital News Services Photo Reporter Design Legal Venue Email & Web News Office for the Caribbean Contact and Information

Renzo Druetto Giuseppe Ferraris Alfredo Rodriguez director@traveltradecaribbean.com Alfredo Rodriguez ttc.pubblicita@traveltradecaribbean.com Ph.D. Josefina Pichardo HairoRodriguez hairo.rodriguez@traveltradecaribbean.com Hairo Rodriguez hairo.rodriguez@traveltradecaribbean.com Jesus Rodriguez Junior jesus.rodriguez@traveltradecaribbean.com Via Diaz, 5, 20037 Paderno Dugnano, Milano, Italia italia@traveltradecaribbean.com www.traveltradecaribbean.com La Habana, Cuba ttc.cuba@traveltradecaribbean.com info@traveltradecaribbean.com

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Cuban Tourism in 2008 In 2008 Cuba received 2,348,340 visitors, 9.1% more than in 2007. Last year the island surpassed its historical record of visitors – 2,319,334 in 2005.

by Argentines (47,405) and Venezuelans (31,931).

comprised in the 45 to 59 age bracket (29%), 60 and over

Last year the tourist entities brought in a total of 1.674 billion convertible pesos (CUC) in terms of expenditures made by international visitors in the fundamental activity – 11% more than last year. The largest contribution was in gastronomy, 664,451,000 CUC, followed in order by lodgment, transportation, retail commerce and recreation.

Out of the total of visitors, 2,315,945 classified as tourists and 32,395 were excursionists – with a less than 24-hour stay and including cruise passengers, day visitors and crew members.

The data have been published in the report “Tourism: Principal Indicators,” January 2009 edition, on the website of the National Office of Statistics (ONE).

Canada continues at the forefront of Cuba’s markets with 818,246 travelers, followed by the UK, Italy, Spain, Germany and France; meanwhile, from Latin America, those who most traveled to Cuba were the Mexicans (84,052), followed

The gender proportion of visitors to Cuba last year revealed a balance, since 52% were men and 48% were women.

In the age composition, 41% were travelers aged between 25 to 44; followed by the group

Broad Interest in Cuba at FITUR The presidents of several Spanish hotel chains and ministers from two Latin American countries attended a meeting organized by the Cuban delegation to the International Tourism Fair of Madrid (FITUR 2009).

The event’s host was Cuban Minister of Tourism Manuel Marrero.

The event was attended by the presidents of Sol Meliá, Gabriel Escarrer; Iberostar, Miguel Fluxá; Hoteles C, Fernando Purche; Hotetur, Erick Noguer; Roc Hoteles, Guillermo Miralles; Sirenis Hoteles, Abel Matutes; and Occidental Hoteles, Ventura Serra.

Also present were the ministers of tourism of Nicaragua and Bolivia, Mario Salinas and Ricardo Cox, respectively; the new director for the Americas of the World Tourism Organization, Carlos Vogeler; and the Cuban ambassador to Spain, Alberto Velazco.

The minister affirmed there are many reasons to say that

professional, health, events or other reasons.

this will be a positive year for Cuba, since it has the backing of airlines, among them Iberia, Air Europa and Air Comet, as well as Cubana Airlines, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2009.

(16%), 15 to 24 (11%) and under 15 (3%).

Leisure, recreation and vacations were the main reasons for traveling in the case of 94% of the visitors; the remaining 6% traveled to Cuba for business or

Lodgment facilities registered 16,287,082 overnight stays (which represents 108.4% of those reported in 2007), and an average occupancy rate – estimated based on the existing room capacity – of 59.8% (5.5% more than in 2007).

Cuba’s challenge for this year is to reach the figure of 2.5 million foreign visitors.

Cuba calls Second Salon of Events, Fairs and Incentives The Havana Convention Center, together with the Ministry of Tourism and the Conventions Bureau of Cuba, has agreed to hold the 2nd Salon of Events, Fairs and Incentives from May 8 to 9, 2009.

The objective of this second edition, like the previous one, is to be a specialized space in the framework of the

The Salon will contribute, through an associated exhibition, to the promotion of services, installations and facilities in Cuba for the development of this market. It will also be the ideal framework to carry out negotiations and bilateral meetings.

The growing need for association and professional meetings of

We will have the necessary air communication and more promotion in the Spanish market and joint actions that will make it possible to devise attractive offers, affirmed Marrero.

It will be a year with greater quality, new investments in Cuban tourism and the creation of new ventures and, with this, an increase of the Spanish presence in the development of the sector in Cuba, he concluded.

Havana Convention Center

Tourism Fair of Cuba, where professionals linked to events and incentives have their own ambit for exchange, reflection and upgrading.

diverse groups has reanimated the so-called events tourism, which is increasingly becoming more attractive because of the collateral advantages it can contribute.

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Ernest Hemingway Marlin Fishing Tournament Is Back The 59th Ernest Hemingway Marlin Fishing Tournament has been convened for June 1-9 at the Hemingway Marina, located west of Havana.

The world’s oldest tournament in its category and Cuba’s

Fishing, following specific regulations that vary depending on the modality.

Famous U.S. writer Ernest Hemingway was the founder of the First Marlin Fishing Tournament on May 26,

until 1960, when it began being held at the Hemingway Marina, the largest of its type, with 400 moorings.

Hemingway’s charisma and his friendship with Cuban fishers led to the tournament being named after him; he immortalized, in his long work, those tanned faces, raising them to the top of a Nobel Prize in his novel The Old Man and the Sea. Fidel Castro and Ernest Hemingway, fishers on the occasion of the May 15, 1960 tournament, met for the first and only time. That was the last tournament for the great writer, who a year later died in his country.

principal sports fishing event is traditionally held between May and June when the marlin run starts.

The activities offered by the Marlin S.A. Marina and Nautical Business Group include Sports

1950, at the then International Nautical Club of Havana, situated on Avenida del Puerto, at the current Los Marinos Bar. The Club was the venue of the tournament during the 1950s,

The tournaments were not held in 1961 and 1962, and they

were renewed in 1963 with a national character until 1977.

In 1978 it was again convened as an international event.

This tournament is characterized by trolling fishing using the tag and release method, as in the principal contests of this type in the world, with the goal of safeguarding the species.

Contact:

Mr. Armando Vicente Rodríguez Telephone: (537) 204-5088 direccion@prto.mh.cyt.cu

www.nauticamarlin.com

Remedios Readies for FITCuba 2009 Remedios, the eighth township founded by the Spaniards in Cuba 493 years ago, is getting ready to display its charms, together with another seven patrimonial cities – Havana, Trinidad, Bayamo, Cienfuegos, Camagüey, Santiago de Cuba and Baracoa -, at the

International Tourism Fair of Cuba (FITCuba 2009), on this occasion dedicated to cities with historical and cultural values.

More than 5,000 tourists, mainly from Holland, Germany, Switzerland and Spain, toured the city of Remedios in 2008, a record figure of travelers.

Favored by its proximity –

some 60 kilometers – to the growing tourist destination of the Villa Clara keys, Remedios has become consolidated as a typical cultural tourism center.

The conserved colonial buildings such as the houses of the Royal Second Lieutenant and of Las Arcadas are located around the historical center of Remedios, declared a National Monument. The architecture of this township of irregular streets is swarming with arcades with corridors, large windows, forged iron grilles, large eaves, interior patios decorated with abundant vegetation.

The churches of Nuestra Señora del Buen Viaje and the San Juan Bautista Main Parish Church – which has a gold-plated altar and a statue that represents the pregnant Blessed Virgin, considered by specialists an unparalleled exponent in the world – are the city’s major attractions.Its sites of greatest interest include the Music Museum, the former home

of outstanding Cuban composer Alejandro García Caturla; El Louvre cafeteria, one of the oldest in terms of light food, with more than a century of public service; the Mascotte Hotel, built before 1850 and currently being repaired, which conserves a marked colonial atmosphere in its 19th century architecture.

Remedios is most famous for its traditional Parrandas, a

festivity that emerged in the 19th century and has lasted until our days: every December 24 the inhabitants of the Carmen and San Salvador de Horta neighborhoods enter a fraternal battle, after the townspeople have worked throughout the year in the design, decoration and flourishing of the squares and, under the strictest secret, in the creation of monumental and sumptuous floats.

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Holguín Registers Growth in Tourism

Nautical Options in Villa Clara Keys

The eastern Cuban province of Holguín is registering a growth in its tourist operations and ranks third in importance because of its hotel capacity. A Ministry of Tourism report published

by Prensa Latina news agency reveals that in 2008 Holguín received a total of 253,970 visitors. The principal markets were: Canada (52%), UK (28%), Germany (6%) and Italy (2%), followed by Switzerland, Finland and Holland, with growing interest.

third in terms of hotel capacity.

It houses 7% of the hotels and 10% of the rooms in the island.

According to the latest data by the National Office of Statistics, it has 4,808 rooms and 9,493 beds available for national and international tourism in 18 hotels.Half of its hotels are classified as four- and five-star facilities. From the point of view of the product it offers, 55% is associated to sun and beach tourism, 17% to city tourism, the same percentage for nature and 11% for health.

The fishing for marine species such as shad and bonefish are some of the specialized

The Cuban hotel chains present in this tourist destination are: Gaviota, which manages 50% of the hotels; Islazul, with 28%; and Cubanacán; and the foreign Sol Meliá, Occidental and Blau.

Islazul have three city hotels, Gaviota has three nature hotels and Cubancán has two for health tourism. The 10 sun and beach hotels belong to Gaviota, Islazul and Cubancán. This modality includes those that operate under management contracts with international chains.

Cayo Las Brujas Marine

At this precise moment Holguín is one of Cuba’s most important tourist destinations and the

recreational options that have begun during the current peak tourist season on the keys to the north of Villa Clara. This option is carried out from the Cayo Las Brujas keys, one of the three islets joined to terra firma by a 48-kilometer-long causeway, Cuba’s longest.

This area forms part of Los Caimanes Marine National Park, which has an extension of 300

kilometers, 98% in the seabed of the Sabana-Camagüey archipelago in the central-northern part of Cuba

and covering the maritime space of Villa Clara, Sancti Spíritus and Ciego de Avila.

Cuban travel agencies are providing offers that link the attractions of the keys to the historical, cultural and natural values of the central region of the island. Villa Clara province has more than 2,000 rooms in the group of keys and some 460 in the rest of its hotel facilities.

Tres Negritas Author: Nancy Reyes

Acrylic / Canvas 70 X 100 cm 2008

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Old Havana’s Ambos Mundos The Ambos Mundos Hotel, a building of eclectic architecture concluded in 1923, is located in the intersection of Obispo and Mercaderes Streets. during which it was used for other purposes, it returned to the hotel world on February 28, 1997 after a capital repair.

Officially inaugurated on February 6, 1923, the ground floor was then devoted to commerce, and the first and second floors to lodgments with 19 rooms.

The hotel has 52 rooms – 49 standard and three mini suites – completely fitted out and offers other facilities: Ambos Mundos Café-Bar on the first floor; Plaza de Armas and Roof Garden restaurants on the sixth; round the clock room service, tourism desk, elevators; Del Monte Salon with a 100150 pax capacity conceived for business breakfasts and lunches, the signing of trade agreements, presentation of products, exhibitions, shows, conferences, receptions and banquets.

In May 1924 two floors were added with 18 additional rooms, and in 1931 another one was added for the kitchen and the restaurant. After some years

Decorated with works by important Cuban visual artists, such as Flora Fong, Nelson Domínguez, Ever Fonseca, Juan Moreira, Ernesto Rancaño, José

The history of the Ambos Mundos is intimately linked to the presence of Ernest Hemingway in Cuba

The famous U.S. writer stayed at the hotel from 1932 to late 1939, when he moved to La Vigía Estate. In room 511, turned into a small museum, he wrote some articles for Esquire magazine and the major part of one of his most famous novels, “Green Hills of Africa” and “Death in the Afternoon”. About his stay there, he commented in an interview that the Ambos Mundos was a good place to write.

Duvergel, among others, the four-star installation belongs to the Habaguanex S.A. Company and is only 20 kilometers away from the airport.

addition to Hemingway’s aura, are the main reasons why it is a favorite among its principal guests.

European tourists make up the majority of the Ambos Mundos guests, individually as well as

For the third consecutive year the UK has been the hotel’s first market, the second is Holland and the third France, followed

organized into tourist groups that enter through diverse agencies, in addition to officials from neighboring companies. Its location – in an area with a high historical-patrimonial value -, in

by Spain and Germany. These were the five principal tourist markets for the hotel in 2008, representing 75% of the total occupancy of the Ambos Mundos.

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www.ecoturcuba.co.cu

Varadero Preserves its Dunes Varadero has set itself the goal of regenerating some 7,000 meters of sand on its coastline to improve the sunbathing area and cover places where rocks have surfaced due to the sea’s erosive actions. The

beach, last summer 600,000 cubic meters of sand were poured on a central stretch of the very vast sand areas (20 kilometers) in Varadero, and this work will continue in 2009.

project underway, which does not interrupt the international winter tourist season, has been set up between the Cuban Ministries of Tourism and of Science, Technology and the Environment.

Up to now, two million cubic meters of sand have been poured, mainly in the area of the so-called old Varadero, and its natural dunes have been rebuilt. The extraction of sand from the site known as Cuenca Mono II, offshore and far from the coastline, was used for the regeneration of the beach.

Because we take care of nature, we can share it ECOTUR Travel Agency puts at your disposition a new ecological destination for those who know how to appreciate nature.

ISLA PARAISO TOURIST NATURAL PARK "The perfect harmony, the eternally natural" After an approximately one-hour-long trip from Varadero beach resort, you will be able to enjoy this exclusive spot’s perfect harmony between flora, fauna, and sun and beach: guided tours through the “Mangrove Tunnel” path, free access routes, bird watching, interaction with flora and fauna in their natural habitat (jutias, iguanas, pelicans, flamingos, different fish species), snorkeling in the coral barrier and swimming in the beach, among others, thanks to an arduous work of ecological restoration in the protected area of the National Company for the Protection of Flora and Fauna.

Only 50 visitors a day, a privilege that will give you the opportunity to spend an exceptional day and at the same time contribute to the development and conservation program of the Northern Keys of Cuba.

As part of the maintenance tasks and recovery of the

Important Environment Convention The most important environment meeting held in Cuba, the International Convention on the Environment and Development, in its seventh edition, will take place July 6-10, 2009 at the Havana Convention Center.

Leader of nature tourism in Cuba

Ciénaga de Zapata

Under the slogan of “Creating awareness to save the planet”, it is convened by the Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment and is conceived for researchers, professionals, teachers, specialists, agents, businesspeople and other interested persons. It will focus on environmental problems and the most sustainable means

to manage natural resources, and it will encourage the exchange between scientists, teachers, professionals, businesspeople, governmental and nongovernmental representatives and students.

The program includes lectures and roundtables on transcendental issues, as well as five congresses: Environmental Education; Protected Areas; Environmental Management; Management of Ecosystems and Biodiversity; and Climate Change. In addition, it will feature an Expo Fair Associated to Technologies, Projects and Environment-related experiences.

The event is sponsored by UNESCO and the UNEP Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Viajes Cubanacán is the official travel agency of the 7th International Convention on the Environment and Development.

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The City of Camagüey Declared World Heritage Site

Santa Lucía Beach Visited by a Growing Number of Tourists

The urban historical center of the city of Camagüey was officially

Located to the north of Camagüey, the Santa Lucía beach resort, one of the largest in Cuba, has registered in the current peak winter season an average daily occupancy rate of 1,800 foreign tourists, 200 more than last year.

declared a World Cultural Heritage Site. The proclamation was part of the program for the celebration of the 495th anniversary of its foundation on February 2, 1514 as Santa María del Puerto Príncipe. The investiture was made by Mr. Herman Van Hoof, director of the UNESCO Regional Office of Culture for Latin America and the Caribbean.

The center is one of the most studied in Cuba, with 13 small squares and seven squares,

more than 14,000 dwellings and numerous churches of varied

architectural styles dating back to the 17th century until the present.

Its condition as a heritage site is backed by the following criteria: An exceptional example of an architectural group of buildings that illustrate a significant historical period; a traditional human habitat, representative of a culture and its interaction with the environment; and an urban-architectural whole associated to current traditions of exceptional renowned value.

Network of Historian Offices created in Cuba The Network of Cuban Historian and Curator Offices was officially presented coinciding with the festivities for the 495th

Plaza Vieja, Old Havana

anniversary of the foundation of Camagüey. Eusebio Leal, historian of the City of Havana, attended the initiative’s presentation ceremony.

The island’s historians and curators agreed in late 2008

to create the network that will develop concrete cooperation projects between the offices, exchange ideas and favor easy communication. It will also build a common front to back management, strengthening of local economies and contributions to the identification of the potentials and weak points of the systematic work.

The initiative’s aim is also to create a virtual space that will enable the spread of information.

Patricia Rodríguez, head of the Master Plan for the Integral Revitalization of Old Havana, announced the network’s actions, which include the holding of workshops and training courses, as well as the promotion of a joint project for cultural tourism.

With a 21-kilometer-long beach, it has excellent conditions for nautical sports and scuba diving, favored by its proximity to the most extensive and uninterrupted coral formation in Cuba. Sunken ships and a great variety of fish can be appreciated in 34 diving points.

It is possible to immerse in a fascinating underwater world barely 200 meters from the shore, since these coasts are the closest to the barrier.

Despite the damages caused by Hurricane Ike, the 1,027 rooms of the four hotels belonging to the Cubanacán Group and all their services are fully operational. Its hotel plant,

which basically operates under the All Inclusive modality, is made up by: the four-star Oasis Brisas Santa Lucía (managed by Spain’s Oasis Hotels & Resorts chain, of the Globalia Group); and the three-star Club Santa Lucía, Club Amigo Caracol and Club Amigo Mayanabo.

Visitors can enjoy, among other options, several excursions that include tours of the city of Camagüey; trips to Playa Bonita in Cayo Sabinal and to the Caribbean’s largest pink flamingo reserve near the mouth of the Máximo River.

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Special Moments of Cuban Cinema Next March 24 the Cuban Institute of Cinema Arts and Industry (ICAIC) will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of its creation. A propos the transcendental event for national culture, Antonio Mazón Robau, programmer of the Cinematheque of Cuba and known radio and TV film commentator, tells TTC readers about some especially transcendental moments in the development of Cuban cinema. a las 18 horas (Takeoff at 18 Hours) and several other important documentaries.

In the early days of the revolution and perhaps due to the fact that some filmmakers had studied in Rome’s Film Institute, specifically the case of Julio García Espinosa and Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, there was an influence of neorealist cinema in ICAIC’s first productions.

Some foreign directors were also invited to film in Cuba, as was the case of Mikhail Kalatozov and the films Soy Cuba, El otro Cristóbal, by Armand Gatti, or Preludio 11,

by German Kurt Maetzig. In my opinion, documentary making was a fundamental school for all these filmmakers who were beginning, who were formed as documentary makers. Some of them began trying out fiction from the beginning, like Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Julio García Espinosa.

Little by little the foundations were created for a cinema language of its own, which in short was ICAIC’s objective, to create a national cinema, with a high artistic interest and an original cinema language. This was during the 1960s, which are the so-called years of the “prodigious decade,” rightly called so not just in Cuba but also worldwide.

These were the years in which Santiago Alvarez made that sort of proto video clip which is Now, as well as Hanoi martes 13 (Hanoi Tuesday 13), Despegue

Those were the years in which another renowned documentary maker, Nicolás Guillén Landrián, shot excellent materials such as Coffea Arabiga, just to cite one example; during those years Octavio Cortázar also filmed the classic documentary Por primera vez (For the First Time), and it is also the time in which the two works, considered ICAIC’s major productions in its half century of life, were made in 1968: Lucía, by

Humberto Solás, and Memories of Underdevelopment, by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea.

Many filmmakers worked during those years; I am also thinking of others such Manuel Octavio Gómez, and thus this new vision of our reality was created based on those filmmakers, then young, who began creating their work. Later on, little by little other filmmakers would join in.

Some like Humberto Solás and Tomás Gutiérrez Alea had a rather long career as filmmakers, others like Manuel Octavio Goméz had a shorter life, but left in his curriculum a key title in the 1960s, which is La primera carga al machete (The First Machete Charge).

We could cite other directors who continued to increase the list of ICAIC filmmakers. The

1960s, in short, had earned very well its name of “prodigious decade” in Cuba, since the foundations were created then for an institute and the aforementioned master works were filmed.

In the 1970s these directors continued making films.

According to some critics, this decade was inferior to the previous one; in any case, some very important movies were made, such as De cierta manera (In a Certain Way), a feature length by filmmaker Sara Gómez, who passed away after that. La ultima cena (The Last Supper),

by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, was also a key film of those years.

The 1980s represented the arrival of new directors, such as Juan Carlos Tabío, Fernando Pérez and Rolando Díaz, to cite a few, and it would be a decade in which a cinema that searched to connect with the popular, that searched a very immediate communication with the public, especially through the comedy genre, predominated.

The 1990s, in its first five years, were marked by the special period. Coproductions emerged at that time as a solution to the economic problems the Institute faced, but it was also the time in which a key title of contemporary Cuban cinema was made, which is Madagascar, by Fernando Pérez.

Strawberry and Chocolate, by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabío, was also filmed during that time, a film that by winning an important prize in Berlin and being a candidate to an Oscar, became a letter of presentation of Cuban cinema in countries that didn’t even know of the existence of a film industry in the island. Fernando Pérez

became the most significant filmmaker of recent years with films such as Madagascar and La vida es silbar (Life is a Breeze), as well as subsequent movies such as Suite Habana. He is recognized by international critics as the most important live director of that time, since Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, who was considered up to then the most important Cuban filmmaker, had died a few years ago. That is, at this moment in time, critics view Fernando Pérez as the most important director of national cinema.

Recent years have also been marked by the presence of new generations of directors. The technological possibilities offered by the new postproduction formats, video, DVD, mini DVD, etc., have made it possible to film numerous works, documentaries, fiction shorts, that are represented in the Exhibits of New Filmmakers, carried out every year by ICAIC in February. There is a pool of young directors in the International School of Film and

Television of San Antonio de los Baños, in the Higher Institute of Art and, especially, there are many independent filmmakers and groups that present their works at these Exhibits, which is where, in short, lie the probable continuators of ICAIC’s current directors.

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Germany, FITCuba 2009 Guest Country

AirEuropa: A Bridge between Madrid and Havana

Germany is the guest country of the next International Tourism Fair of Havana, to be held May 4-8 in Havana’s Morro-Cabaña Park.

AirEuropa has been flying to Cuba for 10 years. It covers the Havana-Madrid route with the latest generation Airbus A330-

circuits and optional offers, with the aim of promoting the cultural attractions and strong points that distinguish these tourist products.

Morro-Cabaña Park

The 29th edition is dedicated to Cuba’s patrimonial cities, its

The most important meeting of the national tourist industry will bring together tour operators, travel agents, carriers, airline and hotel CEOs and the specialized press.

Jagua Hotel Celebrates its 50th Anniversary The Jagua Hotel, the flagship tourist installation of the city of Cienfuegos, in the central-

The commemoration will include the opening of exhibits of visual arts and

200 aircraft, with a capacity for 299 passengers. Until now it has six aircraft whose maximum age does not surpass two years.

With Havana’s José Martí International Airport as its base, the airline has two types of operations: one for summer and

The agency prepares a program with options that range from enjoying Cuban beaches and nature to visits to social and historic places or whatever the

These actions will be designed to promote the history of the building and its principal achievements during a half century of operations. The publication, in coordination with Casa de las Américas, of the book Hotel Gran Caribe Jagua: identidad, cultura y hospitalidad (Gran Caribe Jagua Hotel: Identity, Culture and Hospitality), dedicated to the years of work of the establishment, will be an important occasion.

AirEuropa stands out for its punctuality, as well as the quality of its aircraft and services. Last year it ranked at the head of Spanish airlines, in the amount of passengers as well as of cargo.

With a mean 95% occupancy, it currently transports to Cuba an average of 1,850 passengers a week.

AirEuropa has four offices in Cuba: one in Santiago de Cuba and three in Havana – Miramar Trade Center, P and 23 (Vedado) and another at the airport.

Amistur: Beyond Simple Leisure Created more than a decade ago to bring to the island people who are interested in knowing the Cuban reality, Amistur is in great demand by those who want trips that go beyond simple leisure and rest.

southern part of Cuba, will celebrate its 50th anniversary with the same number of activities during 2009.

one for winter. In summer it has seven weekly frequencies, that is, one a day, and in the winter six weekly frequencies. Once passengers are in Cuba they can take connections to other countries with other companies.

more about the Cuban education system, others who wanted to know about the health system and still others who were curious about how people live in countryside.

Since its foundation in 1994, Amistur has also made it possible for groups to show their solidarity with the island, including an international camp and the Julio Antonio Mella and

photos of major personalities, convocations to gastronomic and publicity contests, and the awarding of recognitions to the founding and oldest workers of the center.

The Jagua, inaugurated on December 31, 1959, is the venue every year of the deliberations of the jury of the Casa de las Américas Literary Prize. Its most relevant visitors include Commander in Chief Fidel Castro, Ernesto Che Guevara, heads of state of diverse nations and artists such as Alicia Alonso and Joan Manuel Serrat.

Casa de la Amistad

client requests. Travelers can also design their own program and Amistur makes it happen.

Some recent examples included people interested in learning

Casa de la Amistad houses that provide venues for meetings of different groups like the international brigades that come to the island each year to help in the development of the country.

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ttc travel trade caribbean • year IX number 177 • march 2009

14

Grenada to Increase Tourism E-Commerce

Dominican Republic: The New "It" Destination for Golf

Grenada will concentrate more on e-commerce to increase attention on the island’s recreation industry. A report released to the press points out that the small Caribbean island is preparing a series of initiatives to raise its options and attract more visitors.

The Dominican Republic has arrived on the international scene as an important new “It” destination for golf, said Francisco Javier Garcia, Dominican Minister of Tourism, in receiving the award that recognizes the island as the Golf Destination of the Year for the Caribbean and Latin America, reported PRNewswire.

The president of Grenada’s Tourism Board, Richard Strachan, announced that for this purpose the Board’s Internet page will be remodeled. The

aim is to have the collaboration of Grenada’s Association of Hotels and Tourism to achieve a website that is more accessible to visitors and consumers.

Strachan affirmed that the site will especially focus on the European and North American markets.

Jamaica Registers Growth in Tourism in 2008 Tourism-related revenue in Jamaica reached two billion dollars in 2008 due to the arrival of 1.767 million visitors,

a great challenge because of the global economic crisis. For this purpose, Air Jamaica, this Caribbean island’s principal

Garcia traveled to Marbella, Spain, host of the 2008 International Golf Travel Market's (IGTM) annual meeting, to receive the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) recognition.

“The world is taking notice of the DR's world-class designer golf courses set amid stunning sea sides, beaches and mountains in an accessible and affordable destination,” he said. The minister recalled that since Teeth of the Dog, the first designer golf

course opened at the Casa de Campo resort, “golf has been a booming facet for the country's tourism industry.”

According to Garcia, the Dominican Republic “is home to some of the world's most dramatic and spectacular golf courses designed by legends such as Pete Dye, P.B. Dye, Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones, Gary Player, Tom Fazio and Nick Faldo.”

Banyan Tree Enters Riviera Maya

as compared to 2007, when it registered 1.7 million tourist arrivals. According to data given by Jamaican Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett, this ranks the island as one of the Caribbean’s major destinations, and the number of commercial flights even increased.

According to the minister, the growth is due to an intense promotion of local tourist centers carried out abroad.

Nevertheless, for 2009 Ministry officials are preparing a tight agenda to keep up these earnings since the industry will be facing

The Banyan Tree hotel chain, which has hotels in the AsiaPacific region, will inaugurate two new properties this year in Mexico: the Banyan Tree Mayakoba Hotel in the Riviera Maya and the Banyan Tree Cabo Marqués in Acapulco. The first

The Banyan Tree Mayakoba will have 132 villas covering a 300-square-meter land area and 30-square-meter swimming pools. In addition to combining the Mexican style with Asian influence, the complex will have a restaurant,

is previewed to open in March and the second in July. This is the company’s first operation in the American continent.

a one-kilometer-long private beach, spa, golf course and a meeting room for business guests.

airline, is promoting special rates and packages for travelers who choose hotel destinations in the country.

The Jamaican administration’s goal is to prepare to mitigate the negative impact of the global financial slowdown as well as achieving an additional growth in the leisure industry.

Tourism is the most important economic sector for the majority of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member countries, since it represents the principal source of annual income.