Invest In Tourism Sector, Cuba Urges Malaysian Businesses

By Cecilia Jeyanthi Victor KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 24 (Bernama) -- Cuba has urged Malaysian businessmen to venture into its tourism industry by building hotels in the country. Its Ambassador to Malaysia, Ibete Fernandez Hernandez , said the businesses could build hotels or look at the hotels that needed improvements. “They can also get a management contract and start their businesses. Several Singaporean companies have taken the opportunity to set up hotels in the country,” he told Bernama at the country’s National Day celebration at its embassy here Tuesday night. On the possibility of establishing direct flights between Havana and Kuala Lumpur, Hernandez said, Cuba could be the entry point for Malaysians venturing into Latin America and the Caribbean. “I know Air Asia is constantly looking for new route opportunities. We can work together on ways to make Cuba as an entry point to Latin America. “Malaysians are entitled to a free three-month visa to Cuba and we are seeing more Malaysian tourists in the country,” she said, adding that Feb 6 would mark the 43rd anniversary of the diplomatic bond between Malaysia and Cuba. Earlier, in her reception speech, Hernandez said, Cuba saw 4.7 million tourist arrivals in 2017. Last week, Cuba won the Excellence Award as the safest country for tourism at the International Tourism Fair in Madrid, she said. “I would like to extend an invitation to those who have not visited Cuba. The distance between our countries is not an obstacle, and I am confident that a mutually-beneficial cooperation can be established between our two countries,” she said. -- BERNAMA