HAVANA, Dec 21 (PL) The Italian airline Meridiana today launched its flights to Cuba to connect the cities of Havana and Verona, in code-sharing with Blue Panorama reported here the Ministry of Tourism (Mintur).

According to what the source confirmed, this operation Verona-Havana-Cancun has a weekly frequency and responds to the growing interest in the attractions of the Cuban archipelago in the environmental, cultural and historical sectors.

In its links with the island, Meridiana includes three other charter flights; for example, the Milan-Varadero-Santa Clara, with a weekly frequency, which started yesterday, in code-sharing with Blue Panorama.

The company plans to start the flights Milan-Rome-Havana-Rome-Milan and the Milan-Rome-Havana-Rome-Milan from this December 22, on a weekly basis, the Tourism Ministry informed.

To ensure the transportation, B767-300 aircrafts with capacity for 272 passengers will be used, and the last two flights mentioned will be for the MSC Opera cruise, the report indicated.

From these operations, the Italian visitors can connect with Cuba not only from Rome and Milan, but also from Verona, which will contribute to the promotion of tourist arrivals from that European country.

Mintur data show that from January to September 2015 Italians arrival to the island grew by 17.5 percent, compared to the same period last year.

The more recent International Tourism Fair in Cuba, held in May 2015, was dedicated to Italy; which helped to stimulate interest in the offers in this Caribbean nation, the body evaluated.

Without relinquishing the sun and the beach, ‘our destiny will show Italians visitors the security, culture, history and the rich nature that we possess’, said the report.