Cuba could receive 200,000 Russian tourists in 2024
HAVANA, Nov 7. The Cuban authorities intend to increase economic relations with the Russian businessmen who participate in the recently inaugurated
Havana International Fair, Fihav 2023, according to the island’s authorities.
This Monday the pavilion of the Russian Federation at FIHAV 2023 was inaugurated, a moment attended by the Cuban president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, and during which the participation of more than 20 Russian companies in tourism, the chemical industry, food, logistics services and energy, among others.
During the opening remarks, the Russian ambassador in Havana, Víctor V. Koronelli, stated that his country’s presence at the event “is another example of the growing interest of the Russian business community in the Cuban market as a result of the intergovernmental visits carried out. among our presidents.”
Tourism was one of the aspects highlighted by the Russian diplomat, who pointed out that the arrivals of Russian tourists to the main Cuban destinations have increased thanks to the resumption of direct flights last July.
“Our citizens know that they will be welcomed here like nowhere else on the planet (…) We look forward to the resumption of direct flights to Havana at the end of the year. Next year we want to reach 200,000 Russian tourists,” said V. Koronelli according to Cuban state media.
For her part, the First Vice Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, Ana Teresita Fraga, highlighted the desire to consolidate economic relations between both nations.
“We confirm our willingness to strengthen our relations and be a bridge with Latin America, a region that has much to offer the world,” said Fraga.
Cuban leaders celebrated the increase in relations between both countries in recent years and advanced the objective of raising economic relations to the same level as political ones.
Last March, the head of the Russia-Cuba business council, Boris Titov, announced that his country would sell food, chemicals and other household items to the island through a special trading house.
The joint company would be created with the state corporation Cimex, for which the Cuban government would have already granted preliminary consent, and would be called Rusmarket.
The agreement was made official in May during the Cuba-Russia business forum, held at the Hotel Nacional in Havana, where eight economic and trade agreements were signed between both countries.
According to what the Russia Today portal reported at that time, during the signing the officialization of Rusmarket stood out, although, during the opening day of FIHAV, no further details of the joint venture were revealed.
