Cuba kicked off 2015 welcoming a significant number of tourists to the country, with the arrival of 371,160 international visitors by the end of January, 51,097 more than in the same month last year, representing a growth of 16%.
According to data from the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI), the country passed the three million visitors mark for the first time at the end of 2014, with 3,002,745 tourists visiting that year, although the island has seen a sustained increase in tourists over the past four years.
Canada, which occupies 48% of the Cuban market, remained on top as the main source of tourists, with a 15% increase compared to 2014.
Figures issued by the Directorate of Immigration and Foreign Nationals reveal that the majority of tourists came from Germany (15,832), the UK (14,526), France (13,591), Italy (12,998), Venezuela (6,770), Argentina (6,704), Mexico (6,587), Spain (5,929) and Russia (5,529).
Following these ten nations, there was a notable growth in numbers from Chile (4,856, up 21.8%), Poland (3,315, up 83%), Switzerland (2,833, up 28.2%), China (2,674, up 13, 9%) and Austria (2,560, up19.6%).
The latest ONEI report reveals that the first month of this year has been the best in recent times. In January 2014, 320,063 tourists traveled to the island, with 292,810 reported in 2013 and 293,329 in 2012.
The upward trend in visitor arrivals to the island has been notable during the current high season, lasting from November to April.
The cruise ship sector has seen a significant revival since the beginning of the current season, with an appreciable rise at the beginning of 2015, seeing 76% more passengers than last year.
