Tourism, the number one industry within the Cuban economy, was badly hit as a result of the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon in Washington.

With close to 40,000 rooms in dozens of new hotels and paradisiacal installations in various cays, the island achieved this degree of growth on account of the quality of its services, security within the country, and the variety of its tourist options.

For 2004, projects include further hotel construction, theme parks, nautical and other activities to be enjoyed by two million tourists, the target figure for this year.

In 2003 the flagship of the Cuban hotel industry had an income of $20 million.

The majestic building belonging to the Gran Caribe chain and located in the center of the Cuban capital, has 446 rooms and luxury suites, two swimming pools, a cabaret and various restaurants with a large garden area and attractive terraces.

Giving the information, Yamila Fuster, from the five-star hotel’s Public Relations Department, added that the majority of guests during 2003 were from Europe or the United States, followed by Latin American and Asia.

The spacious hotel in the Vedado district was also the venue for many cultural events, commercial encounters among entrepreneurs, science and technology meetings and exhibitions.

The Nacional celebrated its 73rd anniversary at the end of last year, having been completely renovated a few years ago, and is currently listed as a five-star installation with the finest conditions and amplitude in the capital.

For six years it has retained the condition of a National Vanguard hotel, a recognition annually awarded by the Central Organization of Cuban Workers (CTC) to production and service enterprises for efficiency, quality, variety and other attributes of excellence, and of a selective rather than mass nature.

The star Tropicana cabaret, which also belongs to the Gran Caribe chain, grossed more than $10 million in 2003.

Fifty percent of Gran Caribe’s 23 companies are involved in the Business Improvement Plan. The group manages dozens of hotels with a total of 11,000-plus rooms, as well as other tourist-related installations and more in the pipeline.

Alejandro Escobar, president of Gran Caribe, noted that his group occupies 87th place in the world in terms of room numbers and the Nacional Hotel is in third position globally in guest preference.

An increased number of activities, inauguration of installations and business with foreign enterprises are planned for 2004, the group’s 10th anniversary.